Second Chances
by naley1285
Summary: What happens when your life does not turn out the way you want it to? What happens when the only person you love walks away from you? What if fate throws a second chance at you? Will you grab it? Or will you throw it away to protect your heart? Naley
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys. New story!! Woot woot!!! I have no idea how I'm gonna cope with three stories in the works but the ideas just came and I had to put it into words. This chapter is a bit short, sort of an introduction to the whole story. But it's a Naley so I hope you guys will like it. Let me know in the the reviews! Cheers!

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Chapter 1

Haley James stared at the invitation card for the longest time. A part of her was thrilled that her best friend Lucas Scott was getting married to Brooke Davis, another of her best friend. Another part of her dreaded the trip back to Tree Hill, the town where she grew up. The town where she went to school. The town where she met and fell in love with Lucas's half brother, Nathan Scott. The town where they got married. They had gotten married right after high school, promising each other that they would stay together forever. _Empty promises,_ she thought bitterly.

All that seemed just like yesterday. In fact it had been four years since they got divorced. A day that she wanted to erase from her mind but she knew she couldn't, no matter how hard she tried. She saw Nathan occasionally but they avoided each other whenever they could. The only times when they knew that they had to come face to face was when Nathan picked up Jamie, or when she sent him to Nathan's house for their monthly long visits. James Lucas Scott. Their son of four years. She had signed the divorce papers right after he was born. It was what Nathan wanted and she didn't have the strength to fight him. After their divorce, she threw herself into her music. It was ironic, she thought, that her music was what came between them. And music had made her successful beyond her expectation. But she knew that even with her success, a part of her seemed hollow without him.

"What's that Mama?" a tiny voice greeted her from behind, making her smile. Jamie looked so much like Nathan that sometimes it hurt her just to look at him.

"Hey buddy," she said and lifted her up on the kitchen counter. "It's a wedding invitation from Uncle Lucas," she explained, giving him the card.

"Neat," he said examining the card with interest. "I'm glad he's marrying Aunt Brooke. I like her," he said.

"I'm glad too buddy," she said.

"We are going right?" he asked. When she kept quiet he bounced on the kitchen counter. "Mama, we have to go! I want to see Aunt Brooke. And Uncle Lucas. And Aunt Peyton. And most of all Daddy! Please Mama!" he begged.

Her heart broke. She knew that he missed Nathan when they were apart. Nathan had chosen to stay in Tree Hill while she pursued her music in Los Angeles where she stayed with Jamie. Although he had become a big basketball star himself with the Lakers, he never wanted to stay in LA. Probably because it was too near to her.

"Okay little man, we're going. Now stop bouncing on the counter before you make a dent," she said playfully and started tickling him, much to his delight. Times like she managed to forget Nathan but now the thought of seeing him again filled her with dread.

* * *

Nathan hobbled around Lucas's house as he headed towards the sofa. He was exhausted after the morning he spent with Lucas preparing for the wedding. "You have no sympathy, Luke," he complained as he rested his right leg which was covered in a cast on the coffee table. He had broken his ankle while playing against the Sixers a few weeks ago. the doctor said that he would be out for the whole season much to the consternation of his coach. Nathan was their best player, and to lose him at this stage was a big blow to the team. At times Nathan welcomed the injury. He was finally getting the much needed time off.

"Hey, you need the exercise little brother," Lucas said with a chuckle. He sank himself next to Nathan and sat quietly. After a while he said, "I invited her." He waited for a response but there was none. "She called me yesterday saying that she was coming with Jamie."

Nathan pretended not to care although the mention of his son's name made him smile. "I miss that little boy," he declared. _I miss her too, _he thought although he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

Lucas watched him carefully. He knew his brother well enough to see that the mention of Haley pained him. He never knew what really happened between them, and when he asked they refused to talk about it. He knew better than to pursue it, knowing that Nathan had a temper when provoked and Haley was just too stubborn. Even Brooke was clueless as to the reason. He had a strong suspicion that Peyton knew about it although she told him that she didn't.

"What about Haley?" Lucas asked.

Nathan continued to stare at the images flickering on the telly. "What about her?" he asked blankly.

"Come on man, don't do that."

"Do what?" Nathan asked testily.

"Pretend as if you don't care, because I know you do," Lucas retorted.

"You don't know shit," Nathan said and started to get up.

Lucas followed suit. "Then let me know damn it! What the hell happened between you two? One minute you were in love and the next you were divorced?! It doesn't make sense!"

"Luke," Nathan said tiredly. "Why are you bringing this up? We both made our decisions. That's all that matters."

"Bull. You still love her Nate," Lucas said. Nathan closed his eyes. Lucas was right. He still loved her. After four years he had never stopped loving her.

"Leave it be Luke," he said quietly. Lucas looked at him and shook his head. He hoped more than anything that Haley's return to Tree Hill would be good for them both, although at this point it didn't seem very likely.

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"Hey Hales, you're flying in with Jamie tonight, right?" Peyton asked.

Haley cradled the phone on her shoulder as she stuffed Jamie's clothing in his bag. "Yeah, we're arriving at eight. Please tell me that you're picking us up."

"Of course I am girly. I haven't seen in you in such a long time. Are you all packed?"

"Trying too. Jamie insisted on bringing all of his books," she complained.

Peyton laughed on the other line. "Yeah, he got his genius from his mom obviously. He's gonna be so excited to see Nathan," she said.

"I know," Haley said.

"What about you?" Peyton asked her carefully. She knew that this was dangerous territory, one that she was willing to cross.

Haley sighed. "I don't know Peyton. I'm excited coz Jamie will get to spend time with his dad. But at the same time I'm dreading it. After the divorce, the longest that we've been in each other's company is ten minutes. And now we're gonna be in Tree Hill for a whole month? It's gonna be totally weird."

"Well, if you need me you know you can always call me," Peyton offered.

"Thanks Peyton," Haley said grateful. "I'd better go before Jamie comes home from school and sees that I've left half of his book collection behind." With a laugh Peyton said goodbye, leaving Haley with her thoughts.

She groaned with frustration at the prospect of seeing her ex-husband again. "Why does it have to be so hard?" she exclaimed aloud. "Okay, you know what? How hard can it be? It's not like I'm gonna see him everyday," she muttered to herself.

"Mama, who are you talking to?" Jamie asked.

Haley rolled her eyes to heaven before turning around with a smile on her face. Trust Jamie to be so perceptive. "Nobody honey. I was just talking to myself. Come here you," she said and enveloped him in a hug. "How was school?"

"School's great. Ms. Davis said that we get a long holiday after today," he said referring to the long summer holiday. "It kinda suck that I won't be able to go to school but I get to see Daddy!" he said excitedly.

"I know you are excited buddy," she said with a smile.

"What about you Mama? Are you excited to see Daddy?" he asked innocently.

_Oh my God not him too!_ "Yeah, sure," she said evasively. "Now come on. Let's get you ready. We're leaving for the airport in an hour so you get yourself in the bath now, you hear me? I"ll be there in a minute." She watched him make the short walk to the bathroom and quickly finished packing.

"Hey you!" Peyton said as she rushed over to Haley as soon as she spotted her at the airport. The two friends hugged before Peyton bent down to take a look at Jamie. "Wow, you sure have grown Jamie Lucas Scott. Come here you," she said and lifted him up while showering him with kisses.

"Hi Aunt Peyton," Jamie said laughing. "Where's Daddy?" he immediately asked. Peyton and Haley exchanged looks before Haley came to the rescue.

"Daddy's gonna meet you at Uncle Lucas's place and Aunt Peyton's gonna take us there, okay buddy?" Jamie nodded satisfactorily before letting her settle him down in the car seat in Peyton's car.

"Are you ready?" Peyton asked her.

"As ready as I ever will be," she answered and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. A short half an hour later, they finally arrived at Lucas's. Haley struggled to contain Jamie's excitement although she didn't blame him. Finally she knocked on the door while holding Jamie's hand. The door creaked open and the face that she so dreaded to see appeared.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"Hi," she answered. They stood staring at each other, both at a loss for words.

"Daddy!" Jamie jumped at Nathan, sparing him from making a conversation with Haley.

"Hey buddy!" he said and lifted him up. "Wow, I've missed you. Did you grow any taller?"

Jamie nodded excitedly. "Uh huh. I'm now taller than Jackson," he said referring to the shortest boy in his class. It was true that Jamie was small for his age but sometimes he acted way beyond his years.

"You are? Wow, looks like you can start making those jump shots already," Nathan said with a twinkle in his eyes. "How about we go to the Rivercourt tomorrow?"

Jamie turned to Haley. "Can I Mama?" he pleaded.

She ruffled his head and laughed. "Yeah, sure you can," she said and let her gaze return to the man who had stolen her heart years ago. That was when she noticed the cast. "What happened to your leg?" she asked.

Nathan followed her gaze. The question was a blow to him. She had obviously stopped watching his games, or else she would have known what happened. She probably didn't care anymore, he thought. "Nothing, I broke my ankle. That's all."

She thought she saw the pain in his eyes but she quickly dismissed it. It was true that she had stopped watching his games. She used to watch them religiously but as time went by, it became harder for her to see the man that she loved right in front of her, yet beyond her reach.

"What the hell are you two doing there? Come on in," Lucas yelled from the living room. Nathan stepped to the side to let her in. He caught her scent as she walked by him and he closed his eyes briefly, taking it all in. Even after all these years, he could still recognize the smell. Gardenia. Her favourite scent. He opened them and saw Peyton watching him with a knowing smile on her face.

"What?" he asked her.

"Nothing," she answered ambigously. _Oh this is gonna be an interesting month,_ she thought.

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**So what do you guys think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello guys! I couldn't help myself. I just had to get chapter 2 up LOL. Thanks for the reviews for the previous chapter. They were all I needed to keep going with this story. Special shoutout to ItalHunni28 for having such faith in me. I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think. Cheers!

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Chapter 2

Haley was lying on Lucas's bed massaging her throbbing temple when a shrill voice made her jump. "It's about time you get your ass in Tree Hill Haley James!" She groaned and opened her eyes and saw a livid Brooke Davis standing at the foot of the bed. Like Peyton, she had known Brooke since they were in high school. She wasn't a popular girl in Tree Hill High, but all that changed the moment she joined their cheerleading squad, of which Brooke and Peyton were captain and co-captain respectively. That was when Nathan noticed her. He was the jock, the star basketball player. She had never imagined that a guy like Nathan would have any interest in her, but he did surprising everybody including herself.

"Hi Brooke," she said without much enthusiasm.

"Hi Brooke? That's it? That's all I get?" Brooke fumed.

"Brooke, it's been a tough half an hour. Could you take it down a notch here?" she pleaded. She saw Brooke's face starting to soften.

"Okay fine. Don't I at least get a hug?" she said and walked over to the bed, but instead of hugging her, she crushed Haley on the bed making her scream.

"What the hell Brooke!"

"That's what you get for not calling me!" Brooke retorted indignantly. "Say you're sorry," she said while still pinning Haley down, WWF style on the bed.

Haley squirmed and squealed but to no avail. "For God's sake Brooke, I missed just one weekend. I was busy that week, what with the new record coming out." Still Brooke wouldn't let up. "Okay fine, I'm sorry!"

Finally Brooke rolled over and laid down next to her. "That's more like it," she said grinning. She turned to Haley and said, "I've missed you Hales."

"Yeah, you sure got a nice way of showing it," Haley said grumpily.

Brooke simply laughed. "Tough half an hour huh? What happened?" she asked although she could already guess. "Never mind. Don't answer that. I don't want to know. So how's the new record?"

Haley was glad for the change of subject. "The record sounds good actually. It's actually the top downloaded album on iTunes," she said proudly. She had good reasons to be proud. She had penned all the lyrics to her songs herself and had poured her heart and soul into the whole album. To see that it was so well received made all the hard work that she had put in worthwhile. She then realized something and eyed Brooke carefully. "Wait a minute. You haven't heard it?" she asked. Brooke gave her a guilty look which confirmed her suspicions. "Brooke! And you call yourself my friend!" she exclaimed and started smacking her.

"Ow! Ow!" Brooke yelled and rubbed her sore arm. "I'm sorry! I've been busy too. Who knew weddings can be such hard work."

Haley continued to glare at her. She then reached into her bag and took out a copy of her album. "Lucky for you, I've got one in my bag. You'd better listen to it tonight coz you know I'm gonna ask tomorrow," she said. Brooke and Peyton were her main critiques and she valued their opinions immensely, simply because Brooke knew nothing about music and Peyton knew everything there was to know.

Brooke snatched the album from her hand grudgingly. "Fine, I'll listen. But you owe me breakfast tomorrow."

She sat up on the bed and said, "sure, Nathan's taking Jamie to rivercourt anyway so I'm free all morning."

Brooke eyed her with interest. "Speaking of Nathan, how's that going?"

"I don't know. We've barely spoken," she said fell back into the bed. She stared at the ceiling and thought about their encounter. She felt Brooke pat her arm.

"Well, here's your chance now," she said and got up. Haley wondered what she was talking about when she heard the deep voice that she recognized.

"Hey Brooke. I'm gonna take off now," Nathan said, making Haley sit up. Brooke noticed the exchange of looks between him and Haley. "Emmm...Hales, can I talk to you?" he asked her. She looked at him in surprise and nodded.

"Okay. I'm gonna see what my godson is up to," Brooke said referring to Jamie before letting herself out of the room.

"What's up?" she asked him and held her breath. She hated to admit it but the sight of him always managed to take her breath away. She looked into his familiar green eyes and felt her heart constrict.

He seemed nervous, as if he didn't know how to act around her. "Would it be okay if Jamie stayed with me tonight? I mean, I promised him that I would take him to the Rivercourt tomorrow morning so I thought it would be easier." He had agreed to joined custody when they divorced and even suggested that Jamie stayed with her so as not to make things difficult for Jamie.

"Yeah, sure," she agreed. They continued to stare at each other awkwardly.

"Thanks," he said. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good," she said. _Except for the fact that I still love you and I miss you, everything is fine and dandy,_ a voice in her head said. "And you?"

"Not bad considering what happened," he said indicating his broken leg. _Except that you hurt me bad but I've never stopped loving you. _"So I heard your new album is out. I haven't listened to it but I'm sure it's gonna be another Grammy for you."

She went red in the face. She didn't expect him to make that compliment. It stung her to hear that he hadn't bothered to listen to her album, although she thought that it was fair in some ways, since she had also stopped watching his games. "Thanks," she said.

"So where are you staying tonight?" he asked. He still couldn't get over how beautiful she looked, even after all these years. He saw that she kept her hair long, just the way he liked it. He still remembered the feel of her soft hair in his hands. He used to love running his fingers through her brown hair when she laid with her head on her lap.

"At the Hilton. Just for tonight," she said. "I didn't want to intrude on anybody." The truth was Peyton had offered her a place to stay but she had declined, preferring to have her first night in Tree Hill all to herself. She didn't feel like talking about Nathan, which she was sure was going to be the topic of the night had she accepted Peyton's offer.

"You look tired," he commented. She was in fact exhausted. "Do you want me to take you to the hotel?" he offered. "You're gonna have to drive though." He silently cursed himself as soon as the words came out of his mouth. _What the hell was I thinking?_

She was as surprised as he was at the offer. She surprised herself more with her reply. "Yeah, sure."

"Great, I'll let Jamie know," he said. They walked together to the living room where the rest of their friends were entertaining Jamie. "Hey, Jimmy Jam. I'm gonna take your mama to the hotel. You'll be alright here with Uncle Lucas?" He looked at Lucas and just like Peyton and Brooke, his mouth was wide open in surprise although just like the others, he didn't say a word.

"Bye mama!" Jamie said and rushed over to kiss her. "I love you," he said.

Her heart melted at the sound of those three words. "Bye buddy. Be good okay? I'll see you tomorrow." She then turned to the rest of the gang and said, "bye guys. See you tomorrow." She was about to leave with Nathan when Lucas came up behind her. But instead of speaking to her, he pulled Nathan to the side.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he whispered when he was sure Haley couldn't hear them.

Nathan just shrugged. "Nothing, I'm just taking her to the hotel."

"Nate, I don't know what happened between you two, but stop playing games with her. She's hurt enough," Lucas said more forcefully. Nathan just stared calmly at him.

"You're right Luke. You don't know what happened, so back off," he said and shrugged Lucas's grip off. "By the way, I need you to pick me up at Hilton later, say in an hour. Come on Hales," he said and walked out of the door. For a minute Haley looked a little bit lost. She looked at Lucas who merely raised his eyebrows, and then to Brooke and Peyton who simply shrugged.

Lucas then hugged her and whispered in her ears, "bye Hales. Good to have you back. Listen, how about we hang out tomorrow?"

She pulled back and smiled at him. "Yeah, sounds great. I'm having breakfast with the girls, but I'm sure I can spend the afternoon with my best friend."

He smiled warmly at her. "It's a date," he said with a wink and watched her leave. He was left with the burning question that no one seemed to be able to answer, or they didn't want to. What the hell happened between those two?

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"You ready?" Nathan asked after they have finished unloading her bags from Peyton's car and transferred them to his. He saw her nod indicating that she was. He got in the car and buckled his seatbelt. He watched her turn on the ignition and said, "that's a lot of bags you've got there. How long are you planning to stay?"

"A month. Maybe more. Could be less," she said and focused her eyes on the road. Anything to avoid looking at him. Their closeness unnerved her and she was not quite sure how to handle it. "How about you? How long are you gonna be off the court?"

"The whole season," he said and gave an inward smile when he noticed her worry. "It's nothing Hales. Just a broken ankle. Why do you care anyway?" he asked.

She gripped the wheel. "That's not fair Nathan. Of course I care. We used to...you know what. Forget it."

"No, say it. We used to what? Be in love? Be married? You're right. We used to be all that. Not anymore," he said bitterly.

She fell silent. "You wanted the divorce Nathan, not me," she said flatly.

He closed his eyes at the memory, seeing flashes of images of him signing the divorce papers four years ago. A decision that until now he wasn't sure if it was the right one. He knew he should have fought harder to keep them together, but at that point of time, he felt as if all the forces in the world were pulling them apart.

"I had no choice Hales," he said tiredly.

"You always have a choice Nathan. You had a choice four years ago, and you chose to push me away," she said and swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat. She couldn't cry now. Not in front of him. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

He said nothing and just stared out the window. He hated the fact that she could still get to him. Thankfully the drive to the hotel was a short one. She practically jumped out of the car as soon as they got there.

"Why don't you wait here. Somebody will get the bags later," she said to him tiredly and marched to the lobby without waiting for his response. He watched her walk away and took a deep breath. It took almost all of his will not pull her into his arms. He had hurt her but she had hurt him too. A few minutes later she returned, clearly annoyed with something.

"What happened?" he asked. He knew her well. He knew the face she made whenever something upset her.

"Oh nothing. They just gave my room away by mistake and now there's no vacancy," she said angrily. "Now where the hell am I supposed to go?"

He thought for a moment before a solution came to his mind. He knew that it wasn't the best idea but she was the mother of his son. He couldn't just leave her like this. "Hales, it's late. Why don't you just crash at my place?" He saw her raise her eyebrows. "It's just for tonight. You can sleep in the spare room. Besides, you'll be with Jamie."

"Nathan, I don't think that's a good idea," she said. A million reasons ran through her head telling her not to agree.

He looked annoyed for a moment. "Come on Hales. It's late. We're both tired." He was right, she thought warily. Against her better judgment she agreed. "Okay, I'll call Luke and tell him to drop Jamie later," he said before jumping back in the car.

The moment she stepped into his house, the memories started flooding in. It used to be her house too. Everything in the house felt so familiar to her, and yet so strange. She ran her fingers along the mantel on the fireplace, noticing that the pictures of them together were now gone, only to be replaced by pictures of Jamie as well as snapshots of Nathan playing basketball. Her eyes rested on the trophy that sat majestically among all the photos. 2004 NBA's Most Valuable Player. The year after they were divorced. A surge of pride combined with profound sadness ran through her and for a second she imagined that the divorce was the best thing for him, if not for her.

She remembered the night she watched him on the telly receiving that trophy the night the Lakers won the championship title. She made herself promise that that would be the last time that she was going to watch him play. It just became too hard for her. Seeing girls, mainly cheerleaders throwing themselves at him, showering him with kisses on his face and even worse on his lips, lips that once belonged to only her. She wiped a tear that had fallen quickly as he heard him hobble near to her.

"No chance of that this year, with the broken ankle and all," he lamented wistfully. Just like her, he threw himself into the game after the divorce. He had loved the game since he was old enough to dribble and the passion only grew stronger as he got older. "I remember I got so drunk after that game," he said with a slight smirk. He didn't tell her that he had ended up on a bed with two half naked girls that he didn't even bother to find out their names. As much as he was tempted to hurt her, he wasn't that cruel.

"I remember the game too," she said softly and turned around, focusing her attention on other parts of the house.

"You watched it?" he asked.

She looked at him and smiled sadly. "Yeah, I did. Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Nothing, I just thought that you didn't-"

"Care?" she finished the sentence for him. They stood facing each other silently. He had to fight the urge to pull her into his arms, to feel her body close to his again.

"I'll show you to your room," he finally said and picked up one of her bags. A second later he felt a tingle in his fingers as her hand closed in on his.

"Let me carry that. I don't want you to strain your foot," she said. He let go of the bag and forced himself to let go of her hand.

He cleared his throat and said, "okay, your room is here." He led her to the guest room. It was funny that she should now be sleeping in the guest room in the house that she had once shared with him. She thanked him and stood in the doorway, taking in the sight. He had changed nothing in this room. From the curtain to the bedsheet that she had picked out. "I'll let you freshen up before Jamie gets here," he said before disappearing.

He walked to his bedroom. Closing the door, he leaned against it and took a deep breath. Ever since he laid his eyes on her that night, he couldn't seem to stop the fluttering feeling in his stomach. He took in deep breaths before opening the door again and waited calmly for Jamie. He didn't know how he was going to survive the next couple of months seeing her almost every day. Could it be that this was fate telling them that this was their chance to fix what was broken? He almost guffawed out loud at the ridiculousness of the idea. He was _almost_ sure that after everything that had happened between them, there was no chance of fixing anything. Almost.

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**Thanks for reading guys! ;-)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello guys! Gosh, thanks a lot for the wonderful reviews. I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying this. I'll try and update this story as often as I can, but no promises :) Anyway, I hope you'll like this chapter. Love you guys! ;)

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Chapter 3

Neither of them could sleep a wink that night. Both of them were doing the exact same thing. Staring at the ceiling until the light of dawn shone through their windows. The only person who had his good night's sleep was Jamie, oblivious to his parents' emotional turmoil. With an exasperated grunt, Nathan dragged himself out of bed and made his way to the coffee. After the rough night he had, a good cup of coffee was exactly what he needed.

In the room next door, Haley saw through the corner of her eyes the little shadow at the doorway. She patted the empty space next to her on the bed and a second later, Jamie pounced on her.

"Good morning Mama," he greeted her and snuggled up to her.

"Good morning buddy," she said with a smile and kissed the top of his head tenderly. No matter how bad the night before was, she could always take comfort in her son, the only sunshine in her life at the moment.

Jamie squinted his eyes at her. "Hey Mama, can I ask you something?"

She sat upright and ruffled his head. "Yeah, sure. What is it?" she said encouragingly. Jamie had always been an inquisitive little kid and sometimes she found that she couldn't find the answers to all his questions. She could only hope that this was not one of those occasions.

"Are you and Daddy ever gonna be together again?" he asked innocently.

She went wide in the eye with surprise. "Where did that come from?" she asked.

"I heard Uncle Lucas, Aunt Brooke and Aunt Peyton talk last night. They think that we should stay here in Tree Hill with Daddy instead of in LA. I think that's a good idea," he said wisely.

She tickled him, making him squeal in delight. "I think you shouldn't eavesdrop on other people's conversations."

He ignored her comment and looked thoughtful. "Mama, why doesn't Daddy stay with us? Terry's parents don't stay together because they fight all the time. But I don't see you and Daddy fight at all."

Outside the room, Nathan stopped in his tracks when he heard the conversation. He stood with his ears against the wall to listen closer. He couldn't keep in his laughter as he heard his little boy question Haley.

"What is this? The Spanish Inquisition?" Haley asked. Seeing that Jamie wouldn't back down, she sighed and said, "well, sometimes mommies and daddies don't have to fight to not stay together. Sometimes they just can't see eye to eye with each other, and sometimes they just don't love each other anymore."

"Don't you love Daddy anymore?" he asked.

She struggled to answer while Nathan waited with bated breath. _Wow, that kid of mine sure knows where to hit the spot,_ he mused. "Well-" she started to say. Fortunately for her, her cellphone rang right at that moment.

"Hi Brooke. God I'm so glad you called," she whispered loudly in her phone.

"Why? What's going on?"

"Nothing," she said dismissively. "So, yeah breakfast. I'll meet you there in half an hour. Nathan's gonna go with Jamie to Rivercourt, so I'll have to drop them off first." She listened to Brooke telling her where to meet. "Okay, great. I'll see you there," she said and hung up.

"Okay buddy. I think it's time you take a shower," she said and scooted him off the bed.

"But mom," he wailed. "You didn't answer my question."

"I'll answer it another day. Shower. Right now," she ordered. Jamie meekly obeyed, much to her relief. She went to the kitchen to look for coffee when she bumped into Nathan outside her door.

"Oh sorry," she said as ran into him, not realizing that he had been lurking outside her room eavesdropping on the conversation. "Would you happen to have coffee? I really really need it," she said. "Or poison. God knows I need that," she muttered under her breath.

"Why? What's wrong?" Nathan asked innocently and led the the way to the kitchen. He made a show of preparing the coffee while waiting for her answer.

Haley groaned and sank into a chair. "We've got a smart kid on our hands," she said and buried her face in her hands.

He grinned at her as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "Don't blame me. He's got your brains," he said. He was right of course as Haley graduated top of her class in high school. She couldn't help but think that he looked super sexy shirtless, dressed only in his shorts.

"What?" she asked when she noticed him giving her a look.

"You're staring," he said smirking, knowing that she was easily turned on by his body.

"I am not!" she said indignantly. "I was looking at the coffee machine behind you. I told you I really need coffee."

"Yeah, and staring at it won't make the coffee come out any faster," he remarked. "How did you sleep last night?" he asked.

"Okay," she lied.

He peered in front of her face. "You look terrible for someone who slept okay," he commented.

"Says the person with bags under his eyes," she retorted. She watched him hand over a cup of steaming hot coffee to her. "Can't sleep too?" she asked, her head bent down studying the counter.

He took a moment to answer. "Yeah," he said but didn't offer any explanation. "So, what's your plan for today?" he asked.

She let the change of subject slide by. "I'm meeting Brooke for breakfast. And then I have a date with Lucas," she said.

"You're not having breakfast with us?" a little voice asked from behind her. She turned around to see Jamie already dressed up for Rivercourt. He was wearing the Lakers basketball jersey number 23, one that Nathan had custom made for him.

She bent down so she could face her son. "No, honey. I promised Aunt Brooke that I'd have breakfast with her."

"But Daddy's making waffles today," Jamie said. Nathan watched his son with amusement. _Oh you're so gonna cave Hales._

Nathan was right. "Okay, just one waffle okay?" Haley finally said and rolled her eyes at Nathan.

"You can't win with that kid, Hales," he said and started to prepare the waffles. Haley watched with a wry smile as Jamie made a fuss about helping Nathan. She excused herself, telling them that she needed to shower before going out, when in fact the sight of her son and her ex-husband together in the kitchen tugged at her heart.

* * *

"It's only 9 in the morning and I'm already exhausted," Haley groaned as she sank into the chair opposite Brooke. Brooked looked at her with critical eye.

She sighed and said, "okay, spill it. What happened?" Haley went on to tell her about her stay at Nathan's place. She listened intently before saying, "well what do expect Hales? Of course it's weird and awkward. You guys were lovers. He was your husband. And that kid of yours," she said with a shake of her head. "He's more perceptive than you think."

"This is all your fault," Haley grumbled. "Why did you guys have to talk about Nathan and me with Jamie in the room? You now he's got pretty big ears for a small kid."

Brooke looked thoughtful. "True. But we couldn't help it. We haven't seen you guys together since the divorce so naturally we had a lot to talk about. Like for example, why the hell did you guys divorce in the first place?" Brooke asked pointedly.

"It just happened," Haley said evasively. "Can we talk about something else now? This topic is boring me. How about we talk about the wedding?" Haley suggested, knowing Brooke well enough to know that once the topic of the wedding came up, she wouldn't be able to stop talking about it. And she was right. Brooke took the bait. Haley listened half-heartedly to her chattering while letting her mind wander. She thought about Jamie's questions this morning. Did she want her and Nathan to get back together? Of course she did. Did she still love him? She had never stopped. But she also knew that Nathan blamed her for the divorce. She didn't deny that she played a part in it, but the truth behind it was far deeper than anybody knew. Nobody except the one person she trusted with her life knew.

She snapped out of her reverie when she heard Brooke scream. "Jeez, Peyton, did you have to scare the living daylights out of me?" Brooke complained angrily. She looked up and saw a laughing Peyton who had obviously sneaked up behind Brooke.

"Good morning, boss," she greeted Haley. Peyton was Haley's manager and had been since the first day Haley decided to explore music. Peyton was the one who helped her in her 'coming out' as an artist, seeming that Peyton already had a record label under her belt and numerous musical contacts. As much as Peyton loved being Haley's manager, she loved Tree Hill more and declined Haley request that she moved to Los Angeles with her, claiming that she could still manage her in Tree Hill although she would fly to Los Angeles every other week to check up on Haley.

"So, Brooke, did you listen to the CD yet?" Peyton asked with raised eyebrows, knowing full well that Brooke was not a musically inclined person. However, she should be given a pat on the back for never failing to listen Haley's albums after they came out.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Of course I did," she said. She then turned to Haley. "So, Haley. You wrote all the songs yourself?" she asked. Haley knew where she was going with this question. "They sound very...how should I say this. Personal," Brooke commented. Brooke was right of course. Every song that she penned was like her personal love letters to Nathan, though not many people would know it, not even her fans. She and Nathan were divorced even before she became famous and she was one singer that didn't like her personal life splashed all over the news and kept a fairly low profile. One of the reasons that she had picked Peyton to manage her was that she knew that Peyton understood and respected her privacy since they have been best friends for a long time.

"Huh, they're personal alright," Peyton quipped. "You do know that Nathan listens to your music, right?"

"Not anymore he doesn't," she muttered, remembering his comments last night.

Peyton laughed. "Did he tell you that? That big fat liar! I just heard him humming your new song yesterday." Haley chose to ignore her comment, although she felt her heart flutter knowing that Nathan still took an interest in her music.

Brooke suddenly looked at her with added interest. "So Hales, what's the deal with you and Nathan?"

"What deal?" Haley answered, pretending not to understand.

"Come on Hales, we all saw the looks between you guys last night. You could literally see sparks coming out of both your ears," Brooke commented. She had to hand it to Brooke. She sure had a way of saying things.

"That's ridiculous," Haley said dismissively. "There's no spark. We're divorced remember?"

"Of course we remember," Peyton said and gave her a meaningful look. "But it doesn't mean you guys can't get back together."

Haley looked annoyed. "Come on guys, I didn't come back here to rekindle our non-existent romance. I came for you Brooke. Now can you guys back off a minute?"

Brooke and Peyton exchanged alarmed looks. Haley was not one who was easily annoyed, especially with her friends but obviously Nathan was a sore subject to her. They relented and talked about other things although they couldn't help but hope that her stay in Tree Hill meant that she and Nathan would at least give their relationship another go. They knew how deeply she and Nathan were in love. It was a kind of love like no other. Even Brooke had to admit that her relationship with Lucas was nothing compared to what Haley and Nathan once shared.

* * *

"Aren't you tired, buddy?" Nathan asked his son. They had been hanging out at the Rivercourt for a couple of hours already, and both of them were already working a sweat. Jamie however didn't look as if he wanted to leave yet. He was having too much fun hanging out with his dad.

"Na'ah. Come on Daddy, you can't be tired already," Jamie commented.

Nathan stood up straight and tried to mask his breathless pants. "I'm not tired. I'm just worried about you. Maybe we should take a short break. What do you say?" Thankfully Jamie nodded. He didn't think he could go on anymore, what with his sprained ankle. He was beginning to think that bringing Jamie to the Rivercourt was a bad idea.

He sat on the bench and was joined by Jamie. He loved the Rivercourt, as did Jamie. Jamie had learned to love basketball through him and followed his games religiously, eventhough Haley shied away from watching them. This was where he hung out after school, shooting hoops with Lucas and most of the time Haley was there to cheer him on. He thought about the days when they would spend nights laying down on the court, watching the stars, content with being in each other's arms. Her return to Tree Hill had brought back a whole load of emotions to him. He didn't know why but he had lied when he told her that he hadn't listened to her music, when in fact her music was all that he played on his iPod on a daily basis. He knew the words by heart, knowing that that was her way of telling him how she felt, and yet he was not prepared to deal with those feelings yet. With a profound sadness he couldn't quite describe, he stared out into the overlooking river.

"What are you thinking of Daddy?" Jamie asked while studying the basketball in his hands.

Nathan smiled. Trust Jamie to be that observant. "I was thinking of how great it is that you are here," he said.

"And Mama too?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure. Mama too," Nathan replied with a leaden heart. He watched Jamie sitting with his legs dangling. He sighed. He wished that things were different between him and Haley. He wished that he had tried harder, fought harder for their marriage. He wished that she had too. But then again, the divorce did happen as much as he regretted his decision, like an ongoing nightmare with no hope of him waking up. Was he too harsh? Too impatient? One thing he knew for sure was that it was all too late.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! First of all, I'd like to thank all of you who have taken the time to send in your reviews, comments and suggestions. I really appreciate them. Secondly, I know this story is a bit confusing up to this point but I can reassure you that there's a reason behind all this. So hang on and sit tight and hopefully you'll like this chapter. And don't forget to leave your reviews, comments and suggestions. I'll try as best as I can to use your suggestions if they fit with the story. Love you guys! Cheers!

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Chapter 4

"Oh my God! This is bordering on ridiculous!" Haley groaned as she tried to get herself to sleep in the darkened room . She could not believe that she let Jamie get his way. For the second time since she was back in Tree Hill, she was sleeping in the guest room that Nathan had provided for her. She knew how much Jamie wanted her to stay but at the back of her mind she knew that it was a bad idea to stay. She made mental note to start looking for a house in Tree Hill tomorrow. Although she spent most of her time in LA, Tree Hill was home. She realized that now that Jamie was going to get a taste of living in Tree Hill for a couple of months, there was a chance that he might never want to leave.

She could hear the rustling sound of sheet from Nathan's room and tried to ignore it. She thought back of that afternoon when she had lunch with Lucas. Plenty of times she felt guilty for not letting Lucas in on her tumultuous relationship with Nathan four years ago. Lucas had been her best friend since they were kids. The only guy besides Nathan who knew her inside out. There were so many times that she felt that she had to tell him what really happened but she couldn't trust him not to run to Nathan and question him about it. After all they were brothers.

_Flashback_

_"So, you're really not gonna tell me?" Lucas asked her as he bit on his sandwich. They decided to take a stroll that afternoon and had ended up at the docks. She picked at her own sandwich absentmindedly and watched the boats rocking to the sway of the sea. _

_"Lucas for the last time, there is nothing to tell," she said flatly. "We fell in love, got married, had a kid and got divorced."_

_Lucas watched her with narrowed eyes. "Come on Hales, I'm not stupid."_

_"I'm not saying you are," she said a bit more impatiently this time. "Luke, I love you like a brother but to be honest, I'm done with all these questionings. Did it ever occur to you that bringing up the past really hurts me?"_

_He fell silent as her words sank in. After a while he asked, "do you still love him?"_

_She bowed her head. "I've never stopped Luke," she admitted. _

_End of flashback_

The darkness and the silence was starting to drive her crazy. She got up and decided to check on Jamie. Making sure that she wasn't making any noise, she tiptoed to Jamie's room and pushed the door open quietly. She walked over to his bed and sat down. She marveled at the sleeping form before her. She started stroking his head and felt him stir. She didn't want to wake him up so she kissed her forehead gently and whispered, "I love you my little angel."

She made her way to her room and stopped outside Nathan's room. She could still hear the rustling sound and figured that he wasn't sleeping too. Nathan was never one to toss around in bed. She smiled wryly as she thought of the nights she had shared his bed. Never a night went by that she couldn't feel his arms wrapping protectively around her. She suddenly felt bold and turned the knob. Surprisingly, it wasn't locked.

He knew it was her the moment the door opened. "Hales, what are you doing here?" he asked in a low voice and sat up on the bed.

"I'm not sure myself," she stammered. "I couldn't sleep," she said.

"Neither could I," he admitted.

"Nathan," she started to say. She wanted so much to tell him that she was sorry for whatever that had happened between them.

He sat up on his bed, using his elbows for support. He seemed to read her mind. "Haley, don't. Whatever it is that you want to say, I don't want to hear it."

His words cut through her heart like a sharp knife. She could already feel her eyes brimming with tears. She crossed the room to where he was, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She longed for the feeling of security she got whenever she was with him. Without thinking she crawled into his bed next to him. The familiarity almost choked her. She could already feel her throat closing up. It wasn't long before she felt her tears running down her face.

"What are you doing?" he breathed and went perfectly still as he felt her body covering his.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said brokenly as she sobbed, covering her face with her hands. No explanation was needed. He knew that she was referring to their past.

He let his arms wrap around her and held her. He felt his own tears starting to fall. Not a word was spoken after that. No words were needed. They stayed that way for a long time. Before long, he felt her grow limp and realized that she had fallen asleep. He looked at her sleeping face and for the first time in a long time, he felt the same comforting feeling he always felt whenever he was with her. It didn't take long for him to follow suit as he eyes grew heavy, finally shutting thus allowing him the deep slumber that he so longed for.

* * *

He woke with a start and started blinking a few times. He covered his eyes to block out the morning light. Turning his head, he noticed that the space next to him was empty. For a minute he wondered whether it was all a dream. He sat on the bed for while and tried to make sense of what happened last night. Did she really mean it when she said she was sorry? Can he really forgive her? It wasn't long before he felt a throbbing pain in his temple. He looked around for his crutch and after having located it, he hopped on foot to where it was. He heard sounds from the kitchen and knew that Jamie was already terrorizing Haley. He allowed himself a hint of smile as he thought about Jamie. The smile quickly faded as soon as he remembered the time when Haley had told him that she was pregnant. He quickly brushed it aside, at the same time wishing that he could brush away the pain of the past.

He joined them in the kitchen and avoided looking at Haley. "Something smells good," he said. "What's for breakfast?"

"Mama made french toast Daddy. It's really good," Jamie said and stuffed a forkful into his small mouth.

"I bet it is," Nathan said and smiled. He watched her slide a plate mutinously in front of him and sat down next to Jamie. A minute later he said, "Daddy, can I play with your Wii?"

"Sure buddy, go ahead," he said. There was an awkward silence between them as soon as Jamie was gone. He didn't have to wait long. The silence was broken by the sound of her voice.

"Nathan, can we talk?" she asked nervously.

"Sure," he said quietly while making a show of concentrating on his breakfast.

She placed her palms on the counter and stood facing him. "I'm really sorry about last night," she said after a while. "I shouldn't have come to your room. That was out of line." He nodded in agreement. He had so many things to say to her, not all of them nice and he decided that the best thing was to just keep quiet.

"You're right. It was." Haley grimaced at his words. "I think you should consider staying somewhere else," he finally said and looked up. She looked surprised for a while. Truth be told she was expecting it, but to hear those words coming out from his mouth still hurt. "I'm sorry. I thought I could handle you being here, but I can't," he continued to say. There was nothing she could do but nod in agreement.

"I think you're right," she said softly. "I'll emmm...I'll go pack my things." She didn't wait for him to reply and scuttled to the bedroom and closed the door. She leaned against it and let her body slide to the floor. She buried her face in her hands and cried.

Nathan knew that she was crying on the other side of the door. He knew the right thing to do was to comfort her but after all these years he still couldn't find it in his heart to forgive her. He walked to the living room where Jamie's eyes were glued to the telly and increased the volume to drown out the sounds of her sobbing.

* * *

"He threw you out?!" Peyton asked in disbelief as soon as Haley was settled in her place. She had called Peyton in the morning, telling her that she was going to take up her offer after all. She was exhausted from all the crying and later, trying to ignore Jamie's protests that she stayed with Peyton. She knew that it would be cruel if she asked Jamie to come with her, so she decided that it was best if Jamie stayed with Nathan for a while. At least until she found a house. Haley kept quiet as she sipped the hot tea that Peyton had made. Peyton knew the moment that Haley showed up at her door that something was wrong. She tried to control her anger at Nathan that was raging inside her for the sake of Haley, but so far her efforts proved to be unsuccessful.

"The nerve of that asshole!" she ranted. "I have a good mind to march straight to his house and tell it to his face. God! He's such an idiot!"

Haley closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Peyton, it's okay. It was my fault. I shouldn't have-" She couldn't continue. She didn't want to tell Peyton what had happened last night.

Peyton didn't seem to hear her. "You know what you should do? You should tell that pompous, arrogant son of a bitch what really happened."

Haley looked at her tiredly. "Peyton, stop. I've decided a long time ago to let the past stay buried. There's no point digging it up. Anyway, it's obvious that he doesn't want me in his life anymore. Maybe coming back here was a mistake," she said.

"Haley, you're my friend and I love you. But what you're doing now is a mistake. You should have told him about everything. The separation. The letters. Everything Hales."

Hales. She could hear him calling her nickname in her head. It sounded so familiar rolling from his tongue. She let Peyton's words sink in for a while. She hadn't thought about the box of letters that she had hid for a long time.

"What's the point Peyton. It's only gonna bring up all the hurt and anger." She smiled when she saw Peyton's worried face. "I know that you still think that me and Nathan should try again, but it's too late. I let it go on the way it did. I can't turn back now. Anyway, thanks for letting me crash at your place. Are you sure Jake's okay with this?" she asked, referring to her friend and Peyton's boyfriend.

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course he's fine with all this. Now drink up. I'm gonna take you shopping and get your mind off all this craziness," Peyton said grinning.

* * *

She managed to escape from the shopping trip that Peyton had planned for them. To make things worse, Peyton had dragged Brooke along with them. Getting away from Peyton was easy enough, but Brooke was another story altogether. She didn't feel like sharing the story of her being kicked out of Nathan's house to Brooke, and thankfully Peyton didn't bring it up. Shopping wasn't really her thing anyway. Sure, she could have anything that her heart desired, on account of being a multiple Grammy winner. She just didn't see the point of blowing her money on clothes.

Her feet brought her to the Rivercourt and she marveled at how little the place had changed over the years. She could still make out the graffiti on the court that she and her friends had made on their graduation day, the day when they promised that whatever road they had chosen in their lives post graduation, they would still remain the best of friends. She stepped to the corner of the court. She bent down and ran her fingers on the concrete. The words had blurred over the years but she knew what it said. _Haley and Nathan. Always and forever._ She sat down facing the river and hugged her knees. She remembered the day they did that. It was after the graduation party. They had lingered at the Rivercourt long after everybody had left. It was almost three in the morning but neither was tired. It was then that Nathan had asked her to marry him. She remembered the look on his face when she said yes. He was so happy that he had tears in his eyes as he picked her up and swung her around. Then she remembered the look in Nathan's eyes this morning. The look of sadness. How could she love him and then hurt him the way she did? She knew the answer. She knew she had hurt him, but everything she did, she did for him. Even if he didn't know it. But was it love that prompted her to do what she did? Or was it selfishness on her part?

She heard footsteps and turned around. That was when she saw him. She stood up and ran her fingers through her hair. "I was just leaving," she said. She couldn't face him now. Not after her act of stupidity last night. He just stood there in muted silence. She walked past him and avoided looking at him. That was then she felt his hand on her arm.

"Haley, wait. I need to ask you something," he said. She waited in silence. "You told me that you loved me. Was it all a big lie? How could you tell me that you loved me and then hurt me?"

She looked into his eyes. "I was just asking myself the same thing."

Nathan stared into her brown eyes, his eyes searching hers. "You said that I pushed you away. But you left me first Hales. Do you know what that did to me?" She closed her eyes as she imagined the pain that he went through.

"I know you hate me Nathan-"

"Dammit Haley! I don't hate you. I hate myself. I hate myself for falling in love with you. I hate myself for letting you leave me. I hate myself because I made the biggest mistake in my life when I married you."

She couldn't listen anymore. She had to get away but not before she told him how she felt. "Nathan, I wish that things could have been different between us and I'm sorry that it turned out the way it did. Leaving you was the hardest thing for me to do but I never said that I was never coming back. I wanted to come back remember? That was when you served me with the divorce papers."

"What did you expect me to do, huh?" he asked angrily. "Wait around like a fool? You obviously wanted me out of your life. I just made it easier for you."

"I never said that!"

"You said plenty," he said. He put a hand in his pocket and brought something out. He held up a piece of paper for her to see. "I've been carrying this around every single day since you left. Do you remember what this is?" She winced when she saw what he was holding. He read it out loud. "_Dear Nathan, I'm really sorry but I've decided to leave without you. You may not understand it now but you will. I'll come back. I promise. Just know that I will always love you. Haley_."

"Nathan-"

"I waited for six months but you never came back," he said brokenly. "And when you did, it was to tell me that you were pregnant."

She couldn't contain her tears any longer. She let it flow down her cheeks. She remembered the day she showed up at his doorstep. She remembered the cold look in his eyes when he saw her face. She remembered the cold look turn into hatred when she told him that she was pregnant.

_Flashback_

_"Is it mine?" he asked seethingly._

_"Nathan, how could you even ask me that? You have no right," she said.  
_

_"I have no right? You left me to chase your dream. For all I know you've been sleeping around. So don't tell me that I have no right!" he said before slamming the door in her face._

_End of flashback_

It took Peyton's words and a DNA test to prove to him that Jamie was really his.

"I still love you," she confessed, her voice coming out in a mere whisper.

He should have been happy when he heard those words, but all he felt was emptiness. "It's too late Hales."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! I'm really really sorry for the delay. I'm on a frantic jobhunt which leaves me no time to update. Anyway, I'll try to update although I can't promise to update as regularly as before. And thanks so much for leaving your reviews and comments. I had fun reading them. I hope you'll like this one and please please let me know what you think. Cheers!

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Chapter 5

_It's too late._ That was what he said. She hadn't moved from the spot where she stood with Nathan two hours ago. It was like she was literally rooted to the ground. He had left her after he had uttered those three words. She wanted to scream for him to come back. She had wanted to tell him everything, but his words keep ringing in her ears. Perhaps he was right. Maybe it was too late after all. She had no one else to blame but herself. She knew that. With a heavy heart she made her way to Lucas's house.

Nathan was still fuming as he limped back to his house. "Damn this leg," he cursed as he sank back into the couch. Fortunately the doctor had called this morning to tell him that he might be able to take off the cast tomorrow. He didn't think he could stand another day with the plaster on his leg. "Damn her," he cursed out loud. _Why the hell did she have to come back?_ He took out the crumpled note from his pocket and smoothed it out. A million times he felt like burning the note, but he kept it as a reminder of the fool he once was. Haley was his first love. His only love. They were as different as night and day, and yet they were perfect for each other. He had been the jock, the basketball hero of the school and she was the nerd who was the top of her class. She was new in town but because of her excellent grades and the fact that she was a tutor in her last school, Principal Turner had not hesitated in giving her the job. He still remembered the day he had realized that she existed.

_Flashback_

_"I'm looking for Haley James," he said as he read the name on the note. Against his will, the principal had sent him to the Tutor Centre because his grades were slipping. He knew that he had to obey Principal Turner or he would be kicked off the basketball team for sure. _

_"I'm Haley James," a soft voice replied. He looked up and stared at the brown haired girl standing before him. Who was this girl? How was it that he had never seen her before. "Are you just gonna stand there or am I just wasting my time telling you who I am," she said impatiently._

_He was completely taken aback by her reaction. No girl had ever talked to her that way before. He was used to girls swooning over him and flirting with him, but this Haley James girl, she was indifferent, which set her apart from other girls.  
_

_"Sorry," he managed to mutter. He handed the note to her. "I'm Nathan Scott. You're supposed to be my tutor."_

_She appeared unimpressed as she read the note. "I know who you are. Lucky for you Turner assigned you to me. Looks like you really need help. Unfortunately, I've got a lot of students on my plate already. I'll get you reassigned to another tutor," she said and handed him back the note._

_Reassigned? No way! He couldn't let that happen. Something inside of him told him that he just had to know her. "Please Haley," he said, loving the sound of her name rolling off his tongue. "I've been told that you're the best," he said. It was a lie, of course. He had never heard of her name before that day. "And I really need help or I'll get kicked off the team. You don't want to be responsible for that, do you?" he said teasingly._

_She looked at him for a long time. She thought it over. On one hand, she really was busy. On the other hand, he really looked like he needed her help. Plus there was something mesmerizing about his blue green eyes. Against her better judgment, she nodded._

_"Okay fine. But I have to warn you. I run a tight ship around here, so you'll have to follow my schedule. If you don't turn up and you fail in your exams, don't blame me," she said in a steely voice._

_He held up his right hand while placing his left hand on his chest. "I swear to God, I'll do whatever you say."_

_She held back her laughter. Who knew she could get the star basketball player to play by her rules? She sobered immediately. She knew him and she knew his reputation with girls. In her mind, she knew that she had to be careful with this one. She knew his type really well. The type that would do anything to get what he wanted, and she was not about to let that happen. _

_"Okay," she said. "We'll start tomorrow," she said._

_"Tomorrow?" he groaned. "But tomorrow's Saturday!" he protested._

_"My rules, my schedule. Take it or leave it," she said and turned her back against him as she flipped through the test papers of her students. He took a while to think it over._

_"Fine," he agreed grudgingly. _

_"Good, I'll see you at seven at the dock," she said. Almost immediately she could hear him protest. _

_"Seven? Are you kidding me? Who wakes up that early on a Saturday?" She rolled her eyes and turned to face him._

_"I do," she said matter-of-factly. "Look," she said wearily. "I've got a lot of things to do, so I'd like to start early. Like I said, take it or leave it," she said and looked at him, daring him to say no. _

_"Okay, seven at the dock it is," he said. He then offered his hand to her, taking her completely by surprise. "Thanks Haley," he said. She stared at the hand as if it was a viper, ready to jump at her. She took his hand and immediately felt a delicious tingle coursing through her body. "See you tomorrow," he said before letting go of her hand. _

_End of flashback_

He massaged his aching feet and sighed. He cursed the day that he had fallen under her spell. Thankfully Lucas's wedding was just two weeks away. Maybe after that he'll be rid of her forever.

* * *

"Did he give you any trouble?" Haley asked Lucas as he ruffled Jamie's head affectionately.

Lucas winked at him. "Nope, no trouble at all. He's the best four year old I've ever known." Jamie beamed at the compliment.

"Mama, can I play with Aunt Brooke?" he asked. Haley looked over her shoulder and saw Brooke in the kitchen, trying to whip up something.

"Okay," she said. "But don't get in her way okay buddy?"

"So where were you?" Lucas asked, his eyebrows raising slightly. He had noticed that Nathan was not at his house either.

"Rivercourt."

"Was Nathan there?"

"Yes."

"And?"

She fell silent. She didn't feel like relaying what happened between her and Nathan this morning. She could feel his piercing gaze on her, making her flinch.

"We talked," she said.

"And?" he asked again.

"And he made it pretty clear that he didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore. Not that I can blame him," she said in frustration.

Lucas looked at her carefully as if trying to read her mind. "Haley, you're my best friend. You have been since you moved here. And Nathan's my brother and I love you both. So can I just ask, what happened between you two?" She stared at him blankly. "I mean, the original plan was for you to go on the tour with Nathan and suddenly you were gone. Obviously there was something that you didn't tell me."

She closed her eyes. She knew that there would be a time when she would have to tell him the truth. But she needed to know that she could trust him first. "Promise you won't tell anybody, especially Nathan?"

He nodded, eager to hear the secret that she had been keeping all these years. She searched his face and after satisfying herself that he was sincere in his promise, she told him everything.

* * *

Nathan laid on the bed with his eyes open. It had been an exhausting morning and all he wanted right now was to take a nap. But sleep wouldn't come to him. He kept replaying his meeting with her this morning. _I still love you,_ she had said. Funnily enough, he did believe her. He just couldn't trust her with his heart again. The irony was that she was the one who didn't trust her heart with him when they first met. Funny how life turned out the way it did, he thought wryly. He remembered her feistiness when he had practically begged her to tutor him and her no-nonsense approach in teaching him. He knew at that time that it was gonna take a miracle for him to pass his exams. And Haley was his miracle.

_Flashback_

_"You're two minutes late," she pointed out to him as soon as he sat down. He looked at her sheepishly and held up a box of cereal._

_"Sorry, I had to get breakfast. I brought you coffee," he said, hoping that it would appease her. She took the coffee silently and nodded her thanks. _

_"Fine. Can we get started now?"_

_"Hang on. Let me open this up first," he said as he struggled with the cereal box. "Wait, there's something in there. Please let it be a basketball card," he said, much to her amusement. "Darn it!" he exclaimed, indicating that it was not what he expected. He took out a colourful plastic bracelet, looked at it for a second and then looked at her. What he did next completely took her by surprise. He took her hand gently and put the bracelet on her and said, "don't say I never gave you anything."_

_She looked at him in confusion. Was this how he charmed other girls? "Nathan, let's get one thing straight. I know that you're the basketball star and all, but I'm not gonna fall for your crap. I'm here to teach and if you think that this is some kind of a joke, then I've got better things to do on a Saturday," she said and started gathering her books to leave._

_"Haley, wait. I don't think that this is a joke. I really need help and you're the only one who can help me. I gave you the bracelet coz I thought you might like it," he said, his eyes pleading her not to leave. "Please don't go." He put his hand on hers, trying to hold her back. She looked down at his hand as she felt an unfamiliar feeling rush through her veins. It was something she couldn't quite describe but it felt good to have his skin on hers. She reluctantly pushed his hand away and sat down._

_"We'll start with the first chapter," she simply said as she opened her copy of Les Miserables. Nathan gave a sigh of relief and obediently did the same. He kept glancing up at her all through the session, amazed at the girl who was sitting in front of him, seemingly unfazed by the fact that he was the great Nathan Scott. He didn't realize it at that time that he was gonna fall for her just a few weeks later. He almost wished that the session would not end so that he could spend more time with her._

_Suddenly, she looked up at him expectantly. "So, what do you think?" He appeared to be confused. Haley sighed with frustration and said, "about the chapter. What do you think?"_

_"Errr...good?" he said hesitantly. Admittedly, he wasn't paying attention much to the book. He was more intrigued with the brown haired girl in front of him. _

_"Nathan!" she exclaimed with a hint of anger. "You have to pay attention, or there's no way you're gonna get through this." He couldn't tell her that she was the reason for his distraction._

_"I'm sorry. It's just too difficult," he said sheepishly._

_"Well, looks like we're gonna have to spend a bit more time on this chapter," she finally said. His heart leaped at the suggestion. Anything that allowed him to be near her was fine by him. __Suddenly he slapped his forehead. Haley looked at him in confusion. "You finally got it?" she asked hopefully._

_"You're the girl who's always hanging out with Luke," he said in realization. It suddenly occurred to him that Lucas had mentioned her before. Obviously he wasn't paying attention to him._

_Haley smirked. "Yeah. It still amazes how you two could be brothers."_

_He looked insulted for a moment. "How so?"_

_"For one thing, he's smart," she said unabashedly, which felt to him like putting salt to the wound. _

_"I am smart," he said indignantly. "I just don't pay attention."  
_

_"He doesn't ogle at every girl who walks past him," she continued, as if she hadn't heard him at all. __"He's funny. And did I mention smart?"_

_"Okay, I get it," he said sullenly. "Wait, do you like him? I mean, like him?" he said with raised eyebrows. He had to know if Lucas was his competition. _

_She laughed out loud. "Me? And Lucas? Dude, he's like a brother to me. That's gross!" she declared through her laugher. He felt relief wash over him. _

_"Good to know," he said under his breath. _

_"Excuse me?"_

_"Nothing. I said you have a nice laugh," he said, although it was true. Her laughter sounded like bells in his ears. He had to admit it. He was enjoying himself with her, and for once felt fortunate that he was not as smart as Lucas._

_He was amused when he saw a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Thank you," she said. "And I do like the bracelet," she admitted although she avoided his eyes.  
_

_End of flashback_

He rubbed his eyes tiredly. His foot was starting to ache again. He wondered what happened to the bracelet. Did she still have it? Or had she thrown it away, just like she threw away their life together?

* * *

Lucas still had his jaw open by the time Haley finished telling him. "You left because of that?" he finally managed to ask. He still looked bewildered, although he had to admit that it was so like Haley to leave for the reason she did. "Haley, why didn't you tell him?"

"I did want to tell him. But by that time it was already too late," she said, her voice heavy with regret. "Anyway, only Peyton knows about this. So please don't go telling anybody, not even Brooke. Please," she begged.

"I promise," he said albeit reluctantly. "But Hales, you can't let him blame you for what happened. He deserves to know."

"Lucas, it was my fault that we split up. My intentions may be good at that time, but I acted without thinking. I should have talked to him first. Anyway, it's done. Nothing I can do is gonna change that."

Lucas looked at her with eyes filled with sadness. It hurt him to see her like this, now that he knew the truth. But if he knew his brother, he was not likely to forgive her so soon. Especially not when he didn't know the truth. He hoped with all his heart that Haley would change her mind. He had never known Nathan to fall this hard for a girl, and Haley was no ordinary girl. He just hoped that it wasn't too late for the both of them to fix what was broken.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! I know I'm terrible. Sorry for the tardiness! A lot is happening in my life at the moment so I really have no time to update as often as I had promised earlier. Anyway, here's the new chapter. Let me know what you guys think ok? Constructive criticism is most welcome ;) Cheers!

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Chapter 6

The car screeched to a halt in front of the big house. Lucas stayed behind the wheel for a few minutes wondering what he was going to say. He was still reeling from the shock from Haley's story yesterday, and what made it worse was that he found out that Dan had played a part in it too. Dan Scott was his father. He was also Nathan's father. Although he and Nathan were half brothers, they were close since they were young. Dan had been going out with Lucas's mother, Karen Roe when they were in high school. He left after graduation and went off to college, broke off his relationship with Karen and met Nathan's mother, Deb when he was in college. A couple of months later, Deb was pregnant with Nathan. To be fair to him, he didn't know that Karen was pregnant when they parted ways. Although they had a long history behind them, Dan and Karen never held grudges against each other. In fact, they had long realized that they were better as friends. By a crazy twist of fate, Karen had ended up marrying Keith Scott, Dan's brother.

Lucas shook his head when he thought about his father. Dan had always like Haley. In fact, he adored her. The fact that he had something to do with Haley's decision to leave without Nathan bewildered him. He sighed as he swung his feet out of the car. He made a little run to the house and opened the door.

"Dad?" he hollered. He straight away made his way to the study, knowing that he would find him there. Sure enough, he found Dan sitting on a couch with his head buried behind a newspaper. He lifted his head at the sound of footsteps and smiled.

"Hey Luke, what are you doing here?" he asked. Ever since he found out that Karen was pregnant, he did everything he could to make her life comfortable, and he never once abandoned his duty as a father to Lucas.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Sure," Dan said uncertainly. "What's going on?"

"You know that Haley's back in town right?" Lucas asked. He waited for his father's reaction as he looked at him carefully. Was it his imagination or was there a trace of guilt flashing through Dan's face.

"I heard that she was, although she hadn't come to see me yet. How is she? And how's my grandson?"

"Jamie's great dad, although I can't say the same about Haley," he replied.

Dan put down his newspapers. He looked worried. "Why? What happened?"

"Nathan happened dad. Haley told me everything."

"About what?"

"Come on dad! Don't play dumb with me. She told me why she left that day. And she also told me that she came to you for help. How could you have let her go? What the hell did you tell her?"

"Watch it son," he said sternly. He noticed that Lucas wasn't about to let up. He then let out a loud sigh and looked at Lucas. "Lucas, I didn't tell her to leave. You know I love Haley. You were right. She came to me for advice and I told her to follow what her heart told her to. If I had known that she and Nathan would get divorced, I never would have said anything."

"Well you did," Lucas said pointedly. "A lot of good that did to both of them. They're both hurting dad. It's obvious that they still love each other and now that she's here, Nathan's treating her like crap. And she refused to tell him the truth. And I can't say anything to Nathan because she made me promise not to," he said frustratedly.

Dan looked thoughtful. "You really think that Nathan still loves her?"

"Dad, any fool can see that," Lucas said flatly.

Dan looked thoughtful. It was never his intention to break Haley and Nathan up when she went to him for advice. God knows he had been beating himself up ever since Nathan broke the news to him. Maybe Haley coming back to Tree Hill might do both of them good.

* * *

Nathan stepped out of the car and reached for his cane. The doctor had finally taken off his cast, much to his relief although he had to go to his physiotherapy sessions four times a week. Lucas had invited him for a pre-wedding lunch that he and Brooke were hosting. Everybody would be there, he said, so there was no way that Nathan could escape. He dreaded seeing Haley again. He could imagine the torrents of emotions that would hit him as soon as he laid his eyes on her. He walked slowly to the front door with his cane for support and rang the doorbell. He heard footsteps from the other side of the door and braced himself.

"Daddy!" Jamie exclaimed as soon as he saw him and jumped straight into arms, almost making him fall backwards in the process. "Mama! Daddy's here!"

"Hey buddy," Nathan said with a smile. He could make out from the corner of his eyes Haley's shadow in the background. He looked and was greeted by her doe brown eyes. "Hi," he said with a tight voice.

"Hi," she said softly. Just seeing his face made her remember his anger and disappointment that she witnessed yesterday. They stood there staring at each other, both at a loss for words. "Come on in," she finally said. "Almost everyone's here." He simply nodded and followed along to the tug of Jamie's hand, ignoring her who silently made her way to the rest of the gang.

"Hey Nate," Lucas said and slapped his brother on the back. "How's the leg?"

He looked down. "It's okay I guess. I just have to go for physiotherapy. Wanna be my workout buddy?" he asked hopefully.

Lucas looked guilty. "Sorry bro. I can't. This wedding thing is taking up my time. How the hell did you do it the last time?" Nathan looked away from his brother's stare.

_Flashback_

_"Nathan! You're not supposed to see me before the wedding." That was the first thing she said when she opened the door. "Go away!" she said and tried to push the door. He put a hand on the door to stop it from closing and laughed._

_"Haley, you can tell me a million times to not see you before the wedding. But it doesn't mean I'm gonna do it," he said with a smile. "I had to see you. I miss you."_

_She melted at his words. She had to give it to him. He had a way of making her feel weak in the knees. "I miss you too," she said. "But the wedding's tomorrow and I've still got a lot to do here," she said. _

_He took her hand and pulled her out of the house. He placed his hands on her face and looked her in the eye. "Thank you," he said._

_She looked puzzled. "For what?"_

_"For saying yes." He bent his head and kissed her deeply. She responded instantly, making them both groan. Suddenly he pulled away. "I'd better go. Who knew what will happen if I stayed," he stayed mischievously._

_She swatted his arm playfully. "I'll see you tomorrow okay?" _

_"You can bet on it," he said and gave her one last kiss. "I love you Hales."_

_"I love you too Nathan." _

_End of flashback_

He remembered the way he felt that day. Like he was the luckiest man in the world. He remembered counting the minutes until he would be pronounced Haley's husband. He looked at Lucas straight in the eye. "I try to forget that I was ever married," he said to him and walked away, leaving Lucas staring at his back. He made a short run and managed to catch him again.

"Hey Nathan. Wait. Don't be so hard on her. She still loves you and I know you still love her."

"So what if I do Luke? It still doesn't change what she did to me," he said angrily. "And why are you on her side anyway? I remember you being mad at her too when she left." Lucas couldn't deny the truth in what Nathan said. He was angry at her. He was her best friend and they way she left didn't sit well with him. It took him a few months to finally pick up the phone and call her, and although she didn't offer him any explanation, he knew that there was always a good reason for her doing something.

"I'm not on anybody's side," Lucas retorted. "I'm just saying give her a break. You're not the only one who went through the divorce. She did too! You might want to think about it once in a while," he said. The two brothers glared at each other angrily. Fortunately, Dan, Deb and Karen chose that moment to arrive.

"Are you two arguing again?" Deb asked exasperatedly. She had watched the two boys growing up and had come to understand the difference between them. It surprised her that Lucas looked uptight at that moment, considering he was more mild mannered than Nathan. Nathan must have said something to rile him up, she thought.

Nathan tore his gaze away and faced her. "No Mom, we're not. Everything's fine and dandy," he said sarcastically and hobbled to join the rest. He didn't notice Haley watching the whole exchange. She tore her gaze from them and caught Dan's eyes and smiled shyly.

"Haley," Dan said as he walked towards her. "Come here and give your old man a hug." She felt small being enveloped in Dan's huge form. "How are you? How's Jamie?"

"We're both fine," she said with a smile. She then turned to Deb and Karen and gave each of them a bear hug. She missed the two women. Her own parents had left Tree Hill soon after she graduated from high school and had gone on a cross country trip, leaving her in the care of Deb, Karen and Dan. Not that she needed it. She was fiercely independent on her own and the fact that she had Nathan then filled the loneliness.

"Are you really?" Karen asked through narrowed eyes. "I saw Nathan justnow. He looked pretty angry."

Haley sighed. "Can you blame him? Anyway, can we not talk about that right now. How are you both? God, it's been so long!"

"Too long," Deb said in agreement and pulled her to a corner as they chatted, and for a moment Haley forgot about her problems with Nathan.

* * *

The dinner went well, Haley thought. Probably because she managed to avoid looking at Nathan the whole time. The fact that she was seated between Peyton and Brooke made it much easier for her. She definitely had a lot of things to catch up on with her two girlfriends. After dinner, she managed to escape by offering to clean up in the kitchen. She did notice that Nathan had silently retreated to the patio.

"Hey Dad, can we go to the Rivercourt again next week?" Jamie asked him as he watched the sun set, his feet gently rocking the swing he was sitting on. He used to love times like these, when he and Haley would take a stroll down the docks at dusk. His face broke into a smile at the sound of Jamie's voice.

"Sure we can buddy. I've got my cast off. Did you notice?"

"Yeah, I still think the cast was kinda cool."

"I'm sure you did," Nathan said with a laugh. He lifted Jamie up so that he sat on his lap. He kissed the top of his head, inhaling his scent. "I've really missed you buddy."

"I've missed you too Dad. Mama misses you too." Nathan's head snapped back in surprise. He didn't think that Jamie knew what was happening between him and Haley. He guessed wrong. "She still cries at night," Jamie continued.

"What are you talking about?"

Jamie looked up to face him. "I hear her sometimes, when she thinks I'm asleep," he said innocently. Dan's voice calling out his name could be heard from inside the house. "Gotta go Dad. Granpa Dan's calling." Nathan let him go and stared into the distance. Why did what Jamie said leave him feeling so guilty? With a sigh, he made his way to the kitchen where he knew she was. He found her alone taking care of the dishes.

"Good to know that being famous doesn't put you off washing the dishes," he commented from behind her.

"You know me. I can't stand sitting around doing nothing," she replied without turning around. "What are you doing in here?"

"I was looking for a drink," he said thinking up of an excuse. And to make his point, he went straight to the fridge and took out a can of beer. She finally turned around and faced him.

"What do you want Nathan?" she asked with an exasperated sigh. "I'm really not in the mood for a fight tonight."

"Hales, I'm not here to fight," he said softly. "If anything, I'm sorry for the things I said to you yesterday. What happened between us, it was so long ago. We should be able to get past it," he continued, even though he wasn't sure he believed his own words at all.

"So why couldn't we?" she asked quietly. They both knew the answer to that, although neither was ready to admit anything. She let the question hang over them. She didn't expect an answer.

"Anyway, did you notice my cast is off?" Nathan asked in a tone which he hoped sounded lighthearted enough.

She let her gaze fall on his foot. A smile appeared on her beautiful face. "Oh yeah. That's great Nathan. So, what did the doctor say?" She had actually noticed it the moment she saw him at the door.

"He told me to go for physiotherapy," he said. "Which is why I need a favour from you," he continued slowly.

She looked surprised at his statement. "Oh yeah?"

"I need a physio buddy and Lucas bailed out on me. I'm hoping you could come with me for my sessions," he said, unsure of what her reply would be. On one hand, he was excited over the fact that they would often be within close proximity with each other. On the other hand, he knew that being close to her again could only lead to his downfall yet again. He held his breath as he waited for her answer. Noticing that she seemed to mull the question over, he said, "You know what? Forget it. I know this is all very sudden-"

"If you're sure you want me to come with you," Haley said uncertainly, interrupting him mid-sentence.

"Actually, to be honest, I'm not sure myself," he confessed. "But hey, you've always wanted us to be friends, so consider this as the first step, for you and me both."

"Okay, I'll go with you," she finally said after another moment of silence.

"Great!" he exclaimed. "The first session is tomorrow at 8. Do you think you're up for it?" he asked with a hint of a smile.

She laughed. "Hey, I won't be the one who's gonna be in pain. And I'm not talking about the physio. We both know how difficult it is for you to wake up early."

He smiled wider. For some reason, the fact that she remembered that about him made him happy. He wondered if he would still be feeling the same way after tomorrow. _Well, I asked for it,_ he said to himself. _We'll just wait and see._


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi guys. Here's the latest chapter. Thank you so much for your reviews for the last chapter. They meant the world to me. And thank you new readers for checking out this fic. I hope you guys will like this one. Let me what you guys think and on that note, here's wishing everybody a very Happy New Year! Cheers!**

**Song: "Halo" - Haley James Scott/Bethany Joy Galleotti**

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Chapter 7

She woke up that morning with a mixture of apprehension and excitement. And then she remembered why. She could feel a knot twisting in her stomach. She turned her head and saw that Jamie was still fast asleep next to her. She smiled thinking that he must be exhausted after the party at Brooke's place last night. With a sigh, she gently got up from bed, careful not to wake him up. As she walked to the bathroom, she went past Peyton and Jake's room and thought she heard some whispering combined with some muffled sounds. Her ears turned bright red as she thought of what they must be doing. She hurriedly walked to the bathroom and locked the door. Leaning against it, she closed her eyes.

_Flashback_

_It was their wedding night. She had been waiting in their bedroom at the hotel where they were staying while waiting for Nathan to come out from the shower. It was not a secret between them that she was a virgin. She had wanted it to be that way until she got married and Nathan had amazingly agreed._

_She had changed into her silk teddy, the one that Nathan had given to her the night before. She remembered when she opened the box, gasping at the silken material, thinking it was too revealing for her to wear. And now, lying on the bed with her blanket tucked right up to her chin, she waited anxiously. _

_He came out of the shower with his towel wrapped around his waist. She could see beads of water on his perfect, those that the towel had missed. She looked at his face and saw a mischievous smile forming. _

_"Hey Mrs. Scott," he said and sat down at the edge of the bed. She moved slightly to face him, although she wouldn't let go of the blanket that had protected her semi-naked body. _

_"Hey," she answered shyly. He knew she was afraid of what was to come. Sure they had made out before but they managed to stop themselves before it got too far. Truth be told, he was afraid too._

_"It was a beautiful wedding," he said, hoping that making small talks would distract her and calm her down. _

_"Yeah, it was," she said and smiled. "Thank you."_

_"For what?"_

_"For making it my dream wedding."_

_"Anything for my girl," he said and leaned over, capturing her lips in a smoldering kiss. She could feel herself shivering, but not from the cold. Something about the way Nathan held her that night took away all of her fears. She knew that she was meant to be with him. She gave herself to him that night. All of her. Body and soul. He made love to her tenderly and she gave herself to him completely. And when it was over and they both laid there, completely sated, she knew this was how it was going to be from then on. The joining of two bodies. Two hearts. Two souls. _

_End of flashback_

"That didn't last long," she muttered bitterly and turned on the shower, hoping that the cold jet of water would erase her memories.

She took in a deep breath as soon as the car came to a halt outside his house. Not wanting to strain his foot even before the therapy started, she had offered to pick him up. She dialed his number and waited with bated breath.

"Hello? Hales?"

"Hi, I'm um...I'm outside," she stuttered. _Damn it Haley, get a grip of yourself. This ain't high school,_ she berated herself silently.

"Okay, I'll be right there."

She didn't have to wait long. A few moments later she saw him. He was dressed in his sweatshirt and shorts. She saw that he was limping slightly and got out of the car to help him out.

"Here, let me get that bag," she offered.

"I'm fine. I can get that," he said in protest.

"Nathan, you're limping," she argued.

"Doesn't mean I can't get my own bag," he retorted. They glared at each other like two tigers in a cage.

"Fine. Do what you want," she finally said.

He looked at her and burst out laughing. "Look at us. It's been what, two minutes, and already we're arguing. No wonder we're divorced," he said.

She would have laughed along with her had it not been for the last sentence. "Yeah," she managed to say with a smile. She followed him meekly to the car and opened the door.

"What are you doing?" Nathan asked.

"I'm driving."

"No offence Hales, but I don't want to die before we get to the gym."

"What?!" she spluttered. "I'll have you know that I'm a good driver."

"Oh yeah? Remember the time you hit the curb at my parents' house?"

"That was one time!" she retorted.

"And the time you drove my car straight into the pithole?"

"Okay, twice," she conceded meekly.

"And the time when you almost ran over that cat," he continued. This time she didn't even protest. "Forget it, I'm driving," he said and motioned for her to get out of the driver seat. She relented with a sigh and hopped out of the car, only to land face to face with him. They were so close she could feel his breath on her face. They stared into each others eyes for what seemed like an eternity.

He was the first to speak. He cleared his throat and said, "come on, we're gonna be late." She nodded silently and got on the passenger seat. They rode in silence for a couple of minutes before he said, "here, pop this in will you?" He handed her his iPod. She took it and plugged it in. Almost instantly her voice could be heard.

_I never promised you a ray of light  
I never promised there'd be sunshine everyday  
I'll give you everything I have  
The good the bad_

_Why do you put me on a pedestal  
I'm so up high that I can't see the ground belong  
So help me down you've got me wrong  
I don't belong there_

In an instant he yanked the cable. She stared at the iPod in silence. He said that he didn't listen to her music anymore.

"That was my latest single," she whispered. He fixed his eyes on the road mutinously. He silently berated himself. He had forgotten that he had downloaded her album.

Before he could stop her, she reached for the iPod. She went through his playlist and all he could see were her songs, from her first album to her latest one. Her heart hammered in her chest. He still listened to her. She placed it back and stared out of her window as an uncomfortable silence ensued.

"Okay, you caught me," he said after a while. She turned to face him. "What? You have a nice voice," he said indignantly. And still she didn't say anything. They reached a traffic light. He picked up the iPod and plugged it back in. He wanted to show her that it didn't bother him one bit. Again, her voice could be heard.

_One thing is clear  
I wear a halo_, _I wear a halo when you look at me  
But standing from her_e_  
You wouldn't say so  
You wouldn't say so, if you were me  
And I, I just wanna love you_  
_Whoa whoa I, I just wanna love you  
_  
_I always said that I would make mistakes  
I'm only human and that's my saving grace  
I'll fall as hard as i try  
So don't be blinded  
See me as I really am  
I have flaws and sometimes I even sin  
so pull me from that pedestal  
I don't belong there _

He gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. He had listened to the song over and over again, knowing that it was meant for him.

"Nathan-" he heard her say.

"Don't. Don't say anything," he said before she could continue. She stared out of the window again, unable to look at him. In an instant, a tear slid down her face. She hastily wiped it away, not wanting him to see. They sat in stony silence until mercifully they came to the hospital's parking lot. They got out of the car and walked side by side. This time she didn't even offer to carry his bag. They registered themselves and was assigned a therapist who instructed them what to do.

Haley being a quick learner absorbed his instructions like a sponge while Nathan stood there pretending to understand what the therapist said.

"Okay, we'll do the simple ones first," he said and led them to the treadmill and motioned for Nathan to get on it. He set it at low speed and said, "okay, we'll try this for a few minutes and then I'll come back and set it at a higher speed. How does that sound?"

"Okay, we can do that," Haley said confidently.

"Good, I'm gonna leave you guys alone. Will you be alright?"

"No," Nathan said, thinking that he didn't want to be left alone with her.

"Yes," Haley said, again with the same confidence, thinking that they were mature enough to handle being within close proximity of each other. The therapist gave them both a puzzled look. Fortunately, Haley was quick to say, "we'll be fine." She gave Nathan a quick glance, after which he reluctantly nodded.

After giving them an uncertain look, the therapist finally left, but not before Haley noticed that he was shaking his head while exiting the gym. She held back her laughter at the hilarity of the situation. If only he knew what was going on between them. She then turned her attention to Nathan.

"Look, you asked me to come with you so here I am. Now stop being such a baby and get your ass on that damned treadmill," she commanded.

Nathan looked at her in amusement. "Huh, the last you were this bossy was when when you practically had me lying on my back while you did 'things' to me," he said with a glint in his eyes.

Her cheeks flushed prettily. "Come on, let's get this over with," she said while avoiding his eyes. He complied and amazingly enough, they worked pretty well together.

The therapist came half an hour later to check on them. "How's everything going?" he asked pleasantly.

"Great!" Haley said with a big smile on her face."I think Nathan's doing pretty well."

"Of course I am," he muttered. "I've got a drill sergeant breathing down my neck."

Both Haley and the therapist pretended not to hear him. "Excellent. I'll increase the speed and check up on you guys later," he said. He quickly adjusted the setting to the treadmill and hurriedly exited the gym without giving them another glance.

"I think you're scaring him," Haley said wryly.

"Me? He should've seen you a few minutes ago," Nathan said in defiance. "You were a monster!"

"Well, I didn't hear you complain."

"Yeah, and risk being clobbered by those dumbells? I don't think so."

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!" Haley bit back her smile. She looked at him in amusement, prompting him to say, "what now?"

"We have a four year old kid and we act like we're four. I think Jamie's more mature than the both of us put together," she said and sat down on the treadmill while cupping her face in her hands. He sighed and sat down next to her.

"You're right, you do act like you're four," he said solemnly.

She gave him a sharp nudge and snickered. "You bring out the worst in me."

"You used to bring out the best in me," he said. She turned to look at him. Her amused expression quickly turned to one of sadness.

"We used to be so good with each other."

"Nah, we used to be great," he said with the same sad tone. They were silent for a few minutes. "Do you think you'll ever feel that way again? I mean for another guy?" he suddenly asked. He didn't know where the question came from and by the time he realized what he was asking, it was already too late.

She seemed surprise with the question. "Do you want me to?" she asked slowly.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "To tell you the truth, there are a lot of things I'm not sure of right now."

"I know," she said quietly. Their conversation was starting to depress her. She wanted so much to hold him in her arms, just she used to do when he was upset but she knew she shouldn't. She wanted so much to be held by him too, but she knew she shouldn't want that anymore. Instead, she slapped her lap and got up. "Okay, enough of this moping around. Are we gonna do this or what?"

He looked at her with a weird expression on his face. Something she couldn't quite make out. "Yeah, okay. Let's get this over with."

* * *

"That wasn't so bad," she said when they finally left the hospital. "You're really making good progress there. But then again, you've always been the tough one. I knew you could do it."

He snickered as they made their way to the car. He suddenly stopped in his tracks and touched her arm. "Hey, in case I forget to say this, thank you. For wanting to do this with me."

His touch sent a tingle up her arms. "I was glad to do it," she said with a smile. "Come on. You must be hungry after all that workout. I know I am. I'll buy you lunch."

"Sounds like a plan," he said with a laugh. In spite of his earlier misgivings, he was actually having fun spending time with her. Maybe this 'being friends' thing wasn't so bad after all, he thought.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a pretty crowded diner. They had agreed to stay away from Karen's Cafe to avoid awkward conversations with Karen. After ordering, Nathan sat back and studied her. It was the first time he had looked at her properly ever since she came back. All the other times, he had avoided looking at her too long for fear of being caught. She hadn't changed that much, he thought. She was still as beautiful as the first time he had noticed her in school. She still had the youthful look despite the fact that she had given birth to his son four years ago. He wondered if another man had looked at her the way he did. He was sure there was, although it was a thought he didn't like to entertain.

He thought about her question earlier, if he minded if she fell in love again. He didn't want to say it to her face, but the thought of her falling in love with another guy gave him a sick feeling, let alone the thought of another guy touching her. He wondered if she had slept with another man ever since they divorced. He shook his head. Again, it was a thought he didn't want to entertain.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Why are you shaking your head like that?"

"Oh...ermm...fly. There was a fly," he mumbled. Fortunately, he was saved from further explanation when the food came. He dug into his burger while at the same time thinking that it didn't taste quite as good as Karen's. A second later he saw her hand picking some of his friends. He bit back a chuckle.

"You still haven't outgrown that, huh?" he said in amusement. He remembered that she used to 'steal' food from his plate all the time.

She looked at him and grinned. "Sorry."

He held up his hand and laughed. "Dig right in," he said.

When they had filled their stomachs and paid the bill, they walked in companiable silence to the car. The ride home, unlike the one earlier was filled with idle conversations. They talked about nothing and everything in particular. The moment the car stopped in front of his house, he had a sinking feeling, as if he didn't want the day to end. He got out of the car slowly. She did the same and walked with him to the door.

"So, same time tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said genially. "Do you want to come in?"

She looked over her shoulder before turning back her attention to him. "I probably shouldn't. I promised Jamie yesterday that I'd spend the afternoon with him."

"Oh, okay," he said. "Well, see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah, see you," she said although neither seemed to want to move. He looked at her intently. "What?" she asked softly. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking if I should kiss you," he said in a low voice. She was stunned. Before she could say anything, he said, "I think I should." He lowered his lips and caught her, catching her completely by surprise. She felt him nip her lower lip and moaned. He knew she loved that. His tongue danced playfully at the entrance of her mouth, urging them to part. She wanted so bad to comply, but something in her head was telling her not to, that she was setting herself up for another heartache. She broke the kiss and gently pushed him away.

"We shouldn't have done that," she said and cleared her throat. He looked at her blankly and fell silent. He knew she was right. It was a stupid thing for him to do, but God it felt good. "I should go," she said.

He nodded and continued to watch her. "Hales," he called out softly.

She turned to face him. "Nathan, the other day I told you that I still love you and you told me right to my face that it's too late. So, why are you doing this? To hurt me? To punish me? Haven't you done enough?" She couldn't help it. She couldn't stop the tears from falling.

His heart broke at the sight. She was right. It wasn't fair for both of them. Not when he wasn't sure what he felt anymore. Not when his heart was still conflicted.

He brought his hand to her face and gently wiped her tears away. "You're right. We've punished each other enough. You should go," he said with a sad smile and unlocked the door before letting himself in. He shut the door gently and leaned against it before letting his own tears fall.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi guys! I'm really sorry for the long silence. I'm really busy with work at the moment. Anyway, thanks so much for your patience and for all your reviews for the last chapter. On another note, I think OTH is great this season. Definitely better than Season 5 although I'd like more of Haley screentime. I feel like she's been sidelined a lot which is a shame coz she is a great great actress. Ok, enough of me ranting. Let me know what you think of this chapter ok? Cheers!

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Chapter 8

They didn't speak of the kiss again. True to her word she was there at his house every morning to take him to the hospital. He kept stealing glances at her, but her face revealed nothing. She was genial to him but it felt forced to him. He wished that he hadn't kissed her, because now things were even more awkward between them. But he wasn't sorry that he did.

It had been a week now since that kiss. He felt the car stopping in front of his house and hopped out. With a murmur of 'thanks' he waved her goodbye and made his way solemnly to his front door. He opened it, only to find Lucas lying comfortably on his couch.

He jumped at the sight of him. "Geez, Luke! Did you ever think of calling before coming? I knew I shouldn't have given you my key," he grumbled and slapped Lucas's feet away so he could sit down.

With a groan Lucas sat up. "I was just getting comfortable," he complained. "Grab me a beer, will you?" he said without his eyes leaving the television screen.

"I just came back from the hospital," Nathan said with gritted teeth.

"So?" Lucas asked blankly. Then his face took a look of sudden comprehension. "Oh, you want one too. Sure you can grab one for yourself too?" he said generously. "Although I don't think you should be drinking beer after your physio."

"Oh, shut up!" he said in exasperation and hobbled to the fridge, grabbing one bottle of beer for Lucas and a bottle of water for himself. He threw the bottle of beer to Lucas who caught it effortlessly and sat back on the couch.

"How did it go?" Lucas asked conversationally.

"The usual."

"Uh-uh," Lucas said.

Nathan turned and looked at his brother intently. "I need to talk to you."

"Sounds serious," Lucas said distractedly.

"I love her."

"Who?"

"Haley," he said quietly.

"Uh-uh. Of course you do. Everybody knows that," Lucas said distractedly, his eyes still glued to the telly.

"I don't know what to do Luke. She unsettles me," Nathan said.

This time Lucas did turn to face him. "She unsettles you? Wow this is serious."

"Damn it Luke," Nathan sighed exasperatedly.

"What do you want me to say Nate?" Lucas said with a sigh. "You want my approval? You know you don't need it-"

"I kissed her," Nathan blurted out.

This time Lucas sat up and looked at him with interest. "You did? When?"

"Last week."

"And?"

"And she practically shoved me away."

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "Well, can you blame her? After the way you treated her? Honestly, Nate, what the hell are you trying to do? Do you want her back?"

Nathan shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know anymore. I still love her, but what happened in the past is just too painful."

Lucas rolled his eyes and settled back on the couch. After taking a sip of his beer he said, "get over it already. It happened so long ago."

"Why is it so easy for you tell me to get over it? You don't know what happened between us," Nathan said angrily. "You know what? Forget it. I knew I shouldn't have told you." He sat back and folded his arms. A moment later he sat up and looked at Lucas. "Do you know what happened between us? Do you know the real reason she left?" he asked curiously.

Lucas spluttered over his beer and struggled to answer. He managed to recover himself and shrugged. "I know from what you've told me." He then added, hoping that it would steer Nathan away from his question, "look, if you want to get back with her then you need to work on it. If you don't, then don't go kissing her because if I know her, she's all messed up already because of that kiss. Either way, you need to make a decision, and fast. She won't wait for you forever and have you noticed? She's hot!"

"Hey, that's your best friend you're talking about," Nathan said uneasily. The thought that other men, including Lucas found Haley hot bothered him.

"I'm just saying," Lucas said with a shrug.

"Okay, that's it. You're leaving," Nathan said and picked up Lucas's half empty beer can. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

He ignored Nathan's attempt to throw him out and put his feet back up on the table in front of the couch. "Brooke's going all crazy with the wedding. I just needed to get away from the insanity."

Nathan kicked his foot which resulted in Lucas glaring at him. "Well, you're driving me crazy and in case you haven't noticed, I'm throwing you out."

"But-"

Nathan shook his head. "Luke, I pity you man. I really do. But I've got a lot on my plate right now, and I'm tired," he said wearily.

"Fine," Lucas said grudgingly. "I'm going." He got up and walked to the door. Just before opening it, he turned and said to Nathan, "Nate, just forgive her."

He nodded grimly. "I'm trying to Luke. Just give me time."

Now that Lucas was gone, he let thoughts run freely in his head. He sank back on the couch and groaned. "God, I'm such an idiot!" he exclaimed. The session at the hospital today was awkward to say the least. Haley had avoided talking to him if she could help it and he did the same. He didn't know how long he could put up with this. He knew Lucas was right. He needed to do something fast. Haley had already begun to occupy his thoughts and he didn't think that it was going to change anytime soon.

He thought about the first time they kissed. It seemed so long ago to him. It was the day he found out that he had passed all his papers.

_Flashback_

_"Haley!" Nathan called out in the crowded hallway. He pushed himself through the throngs of kids making their way to the cafeteria for lunch._

_Haley turned her head at the sound of his voice. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She hated being the centre of attention and Nathan's call had made her just that. She could see a few heads turning to look at her. Funny, she thought. A few months ago, she was a complete nobody in school. A fly on the wall. Everything changed when she started tutoring Nathan Scott. Now she had become a topic of speculation. She knew that they talked about her, wondering if she and Nathan were an item since they had been hanging out a lot lately. But she managed to avoid answering the questions, preferring to keep her mouth shut._

_Lucas had been a great human shield for her. As much as he loved his brother, he knew Nathan like the back of his hand. Because of that, he made sure that Haley was never alone. He knew that Nathan would swoop in whenever he had the chance. He could see it in his eyes. _

_Next to her, she could feel Lucas stiffen. She ignored him. "Hey, Nathan. What's up?"_

_Nathan waved a piece of paper in front of her face. "I passed all my papers! And it's all thanks to you!" he exclaimed happily, totally oblivious to the fact that Lucas was standing right next to her. _

_"Hey, congrats dude," Lucas said, making Nathan realize for the first time of his existence. He bumped fists with Lucas and grinned._

_"Yeah, thanks. I couldn't have done it without Haley."_

_"Hey, you did it all by yourself. I just steered you in the right direction," she said modestly. She wasn't used to being complimented, and one coming from Nathan unnerved her._

_"Still, I couldn't have done it without you," he said. "Hey, how about we celebrate. Are you free tonight?" he asked without thinking._

_Haley froze for a while. "Tonight?" she stammered. "Are you asking me out?"_

_Nathan shrugged, all the while aware of Lucas's watchful eyes. "Yeah, I guess. So how about it? My treat. I'll pick you up at eight."_

_She turned to look at Lucas for reassurance, which didn't go unnoticed by Nathan. "Come on Luke, I'll have her home by eleven." _

_Lucas seemed to mull it over before agreeing. "Fine, eleven. One minute later and I'll kick your ass."_

_Haley smacked him on the arm. "Excuse me, guys. I'm still here. What if I have plans for tonight?" Lucas shrugged sheepishly. She sighed and said, "okay fine. Pick me up at eight." Then, without giving Nathan another glance, she grabbed Lucas's arm and said under her breath, "what the hell do you think you're doing? And what are you, my dad?"_

_He laughed good naturedly. "Come on Hales. I know that look in your eyes. You like him too. Besides, he's not as bad as you think." She looked at him sceptically. She sure hoped he was right._

_She was surprised that night when Nathan knocked on her door at eight. "Wow, how come you're not this punctual for our tutoring sessions?" she asked._

_He laughed although he didn't offer her an answer. They talked easily in his car on the way to the docks, which again surprised her. They had dinner at a restaurant right on the docks, overlooking the bay. He had never noticed how beautiful the bay was at night, but that night with Haley sitting opposite him, with her brown hair flowing in the wind, the sight took his breath away. _

_Later they went for a walk. Walking side by side, their fingers almost touching. Already he could feel a jolt coursing through him everytime her fingers brushed with his. He decided to be bold and took her hand in his. She stopped in her tracks. She looked at him warily, although she didn't pull away._

_"What are you doing?" she asked softly. She surprised herself when she sounded so calm she could already feel her heart hammering against her chest._

_"I'm not sure," he admitted. She started to pull away, embarrassed with the way he was looking at her. "Wait," he said, pulling her back. "I just wanted to...I mean, is it okay if I...I mean..." he stuttered. He saw the amusement in her face. "Oh what the hell," he muttered before bending down to kiss her, catching her completely off guard._

_She froze at the touch of his lips. Her head began to spin. She then felt his arms encircling her waist, pulling her close. Before she knew it, she was kissing him back. He wanted shout with joy, but he didn't want to let her go. His kiss surprised her. It was gentle and soft and filled with tenderness. His tongue lingered playfully on her lips, urging them to part, and when she did, he almost moaned out loud. If he had known kissing her would feel like this, he would have done this a long time ago. _

_They both pulled back a long while later to catch their breaths. He remembered the look on her flushed face. It was filled with amusement coupled with wonder. He didn't know what came over him. All he knew at that time was that he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing just that. Kissing her._

_End of flashback_

Haley was thinking of exactly the same thing as she sat on the swing on Peyton's porch. It seemed so long ago, but she still remembered what it felt like. It was true what they say. You never forget your first kiss. She was completely taken by surprise when Nathan kissed her. After the outburst at the Rivercourt, she had thought that that was the last thing he wanted to do. The kiss confused her. Did he want to get back together? Or was he just playing her along just to get back at her for leaving him?

It was almost dusk and the street was quiet. Beside her, she could feel Jamie leaning against her body. She let out a loud sigh and leaned back while rocking the swing gently.

"What's wrong Mama?" Jamie asked her, his face filled with childlike innocence. She managed a small smile as she cupped his chubby face.

"Nothing's wrong. This is nice isn't it? Just the two of us," she said and propped her chin on his head.

"I wish Daddy was here," he said wistfully. She looked at him in surprise although she didn't say anything. As if he could read her thoughts, he continued," I like it when you're with me. I like it when Daddy's with me too. Why can't you both be with me?"

She felt a thud in her heart at the question. She picked him up and placed him on her lap and hugged her close. "Honey, it's really complicated," she said.

"What does complicated mean?" She groaned inwardly at his question. She had no idea how Jamie got so smart, although people kept telling her that he got it from her. Sometimes she wasn't sure if it was a good thing.

She was spared from explaining to him when he looked up and yelled, "Daddy!"

True enough, there was Nathan walking up the pathway leading to the house. Her heart automatically skipped a beat at the sight of him. The fact that he looked devastatingly handsome wasn't helping her either. She didn't get up from the swing. Instead she watched him walk up to them cautiously.

"Hey buddy," he said as he walked near. "What are you doing out here?" She noticed that he was trying to avoid looking at her.

"Nothing. Just hanging out with Mama."

"Can I hang out too?" he asked.

Jamie's face lit up. He nodded enthusiastically. "You can sit next to Mama," he said.

Nathan hesitated for a while before planting himself next to her. The swing wasn't that roomy. They sat so close that their shoulders touched. He liked the feel of it.

"Is your leg much better Daddy?"

He looked at Jamie fondly. "Much better thanks to Mama. She's helping me out a lot," he said and looked at her for the first time. She looked into his eyes, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

"Cool! Can I come next time?" Jamie asked, oblivious to the fact that she was sitting in silence the whole time.

"Sure you can, if Mama's okay with it," Nathan said and looked at her pointedly.

"If you can get up really early in the morning," she finally said and ruffled his head.

Suddenly, Nathan leaned over to her and whispered in her ear softly, "Hales, we need to talk."

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P/s: Let me know what you think! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi peeps! I'm back with another chapter. I'm not sure if this chapter will come across to you guys the way that I want it to. I know it's a bit confusing at this point but just hang in there okay? Again, a big thank you for the wonderful reviews for the last chapter. I truly appreciate it. Let's just hope this chapter will get awesome reviews too ;) Criticism will be most welcome too. Cheers!

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Chapter 9

Brooke carefully inspected the pale cream dress that she had propped up on the mannequin. She wanted this dress to be perfect. She had vehemently insisted on designing her own dress, despite Lucas's insistence that she had it done by some other designer. She knew that she still had a lot of things to do before the wedding, but she wanted to wear her own dress at her own wedding. She tapped a finger on her bottom lip as she continued with her inspection. Luckily, there were no customers at her Clothes Over Bros boutique, which gave her the time to focus on the dress.

"Something's not right," she muttered to herself.

"You bet something's not right."

She whirled around at the sound of the voice and frowned. "Hey, you're not supposed to see the dress before the wedding. It's bad luck," she said to Lucas.

"Do you really believe that the happiness of our marriage depends on whether I saw the dress or not?" he asked with raised eyebrows. He didn't give the time for Brooke to answer. "Anyway, I was talking about Nathan and Haley."

"Oh, what about them?" Brooke asked with interest, the dress completely forgotten. She hoisted herself up on the counter and looked at him enquiringly.

"He told me that he still loves her."

Her eyes went wide with disbelief. "He did?"

"Yup. And that's not all. He kissed her."

An audible gasp was heard. "What?! When?" Brooke jumped down from the counter and stood with her arms akimbo.

"A couple of days ago." He shook his head. "They can be such idiots," he said frustratedly.

"Uh-uh," she nodded in agreement. "So, what's he gonna do?"

"I don't know." Suddenly, he looked at her and asked, "do you believe in second chances?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Sure I do. I think more than anything, Nathan and Haley deserve a second chance." She stared out into the street, watching cars passing by. She knew without a doubt in her heart that Nathan and Haley were meant to be together. To say that she was shocked when they divorced was an understatement. Their relationship was what made her believe in her own relationship with Lucas. They made her believe that there was such a thing as true love. That every person had her own soulmate. She just wished that they still believe in that too.

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"Hey guys! What are you doing out here?" Peyton exclaimed. She stood in front of them, her frame towering over the swing on the porch. She acknowledged Nathan with a simple nod. She couldn't help it. Knowing what she knew about Haley and Nathan's relationship, she couldn't help but feel a hint of animosity towards him, nevermind that they had been friends for so long.

"Hi Aunt Peyton. We're just hanging out," Jamie said with a serious face.

"Actually I need to talk to Haley. Hey Jamie, why don't you go inside with Aunt Peyton for a while. Daddy needs to speak to Mama," Nathan said before planting a kiss on Jamie's head. Jamie looked unsure for a moment, as if he didn't want this moment to end. A moment when all three of them were together. He then nodded reluctantly before obediently taking Peyton's outstretched hand.

"Come on honey. Why don't you help me and Uncle Jake make dinner?" Peyton glanced at Haley with raised eyebrows. Haley knew that look. A look that said that she could always count on Peyton if she needed anything. She nodded at her gratefully and watched her bring her son into the house.

She stared out into the empty street. It was beginning to get dark. There were just the two of them now, although neither spoke a word. They sat silently side by side for a long while.

The silence was beginning to unnerve her. She was the first to break the silence. "So, what did you want to talk about? Is everything alright? Is your leg hurting?" A torrid of questions flew out of her mouth.

"No, my leg's fine." He suddenly felt nervous. He knew he had to get it out of his chest. He just didn't know how to start. "Do you mind if we take a walk?" He was hoping that they could go somewhere quiet to talk. Away from prying eyes and ears.

"Okay," she said slowly. She glanced at Peyton's door. "I'll just let Jamie know." He nodded his assent. He watched her disappear into the house. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, nervous of what he was going to say. Nervous of her reaction.

A moment later she reappeared. She walked down the path leading to the street, her own heart hammering. She didn't know what he was going to say. They walked silently side by side, both not speaking. Before they knew it, they were standing in front of Nathan's house.

In a way, it was intentional. He had wanted to talk in the comfort of his own home. It was just fortunate that she was lost in her own thoughts that he had managed to steer her in the direction of his house.

"Well, since we're already in front of my house, why don't we go in?"

She looked at him suspiciously, but felt her head nod in agreement.

"So what's up?" she asked with mock cheerfulness as she walked through the door.

"I'm not sorry I kissed you," he blurted out.

"Nathan-" she said wearily.

"No, just hear me out. Please," he pleaded. She looked at him blankly before casting her eyes over his shoulder and out onto the street. "I didn't kiss you to hurt you. Nor was it to punish you. I wanted to kiss you and I was glad I did. The truth is, I've been trying to block out what happened four years ago from my mind. I just couldn't. I couldn't forget the fact that we fell in love. The fact that I was once your husband. The fact that I still love you, even after all that has happened." That was when she turned to face him. Her eyes shone with tears. He wasn't sure if it was from happiness because of his admission, or if it was something else. Something he was afraid to find out.

Her heart felt heavy upon hearing those words. She had been wanting to hear those words coming out of his mouth for so long. But as soon as she heard it, she was surprised when all she felt was sadness.

"I would kiss you again in a heartbeat Hales," he said and placed his hand on her face, gently caressing it. "Ever since you came back, all I could think about is you. I know I've been cruel to you. I've hurt you and at times I meant to hurt you and I'm sorry."

She covered his hand with hers. "Nathan, you have no idea how much I've wanted you to say that, but I'm just tired of it all. You were right when you told me at the Rivercourt that it's too late. We keep going back and forth and for what? For more heartache?"

"Haley. I'd like to give us another chance."

She got up from the swing and stood with her arms across her chest. God, more than anything she wanted another chance to be with him. "Don't you even want to know why I left?"

He sighed and stood next to her. "Sure I do, but it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that you're here. And I'm here." He put his hand on his arm and motioned for her to face him. "Hales, look at me," he urged. This time she did face him. "You told me that you still love me. Were you telling the truth?"

"Nathan, I do still love you. I probably will for the rest of my life. But what you said at the Rivercourt got me thinking. Like I said, you were right. And I've got Jamie to think about now. What if it doesn't work out? He's gonna be crushed."

"It will work out," he said vehemently.

"Will it? What happens after the wedding? Me and Jamie will go back to LA and you will go back to playing with the Lakers. How is that going to work out?"

"You guys can move in with me."

"Nathan," she said with a sigh. "It's not that easy-"

He was suddenly angry. "You know what? I don't get you! You wanted me back and now just when I told you that I still love, you're pushing me away. What the hell Haley? Is this just a game to you?"

"How can you say that? Do you have any idea how much I've missed you since you've been gone? How I keep praying that one day you'll come back to me. That you'll forgive me? You are not the one person in this relationship Nathan. I am too. I was the one who had to sign the divorce papers! I was the one who cried everyday after you made it clear that you didn't want me in your life anymore! It was one kiss! One kiss did not change the fact that you told me that it was too late!" This time she didn't even hold her tears back. Neither did she bother to wipe them away.

He watched her tears streaked face and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. "How about two?"

"What?"

"What if I kissed you again?"

Before she could say anything, he grabbed her face and caught her lips in a searing kiss. He prodded her lips, urging them to part so he could deepen the kiss. With one foot he managed to close the door behind them.

"No," she protested and tried to push him away.

"Kiss me," he breathed against her lips. She felt another tear slide down her cheek. "Kiss me Hales," he insisted before claiming her lips again. This time her lips instinctively parted, making way for his tongue to enter. She knew she couldn't fight it anymore, and so she gave in, letting go of her inhibitions. Nothing mattered anymore except the feel of his mouth on hers. His tongue found hers and he deepened the kiss. She emitted a low groan at the contact. He was the only man she had ever kissed. Ever since their divorce, she had managed to stay out of the dating scene, giving Jamie as an excuse.

Listening to her groan made him pull her closer. He didn't want to let go, afraid that if he did, she would leave. Their tongues danced with each other. Feeling, claiming, tasting.

"God, I love you. You have no idea how much I want you right now," Nathan breathed. Something then snapped in her head and she immediately pulled away.

"Stop it," she said breathlessly.

"Haley-"

"Please stop it," she cried.

"I can't stop. Even after you left me I've never stop loving you," he said fiercely. "You cannot deny the fact that you want me as much as I want you too."

She hated it when he was right. She couldn't deny the fact that her skin burned at his touch. That there was a familiar throbbing sensation when he kissed her.

"See? You can't even deny it," he said. "Are you gonna deny that you like me doing this?" He lowered his head and started kissing her neck. He knew where her weakest spots were even after all these years. An audible sigh was heard as she closed her eyes at the sensation, at a loss for words. He deftly turned her around and pushed her against the door, effectively imprisoning her with his hands. He took in her scent. A scent he remembered from a long time ago. He gently nibbled her ear, making her moan. He then lifted her up and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He could already feel this throbbing erection, such was her effect on him. He tried to control himself. He had been waiting for this moment for as long as he could remember. He wanted it to last, although if he had his way, he would taken her then and there.

He slowly walked to his bedroom, carrying her still. All the while his eyes never left her face. When they reached the bedroom, he gently let her down. With his eyes still focused on her, he deftly unbuttoned her blouse. He held back a gasp as he took in the sight before him. She was still beautiful. Just as he remembered her. Even giving birth to Jamie did not affect her body the slightest. In fact he thought that she had never looked sexier.

Her hand went to his chest and grabbed the front of his shirt. For a moment she hesitated. She then thought better of it and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his perfectly chiseled body. She ran her hand across his chest, loving the way the contours of his abs felt.

"We shouldn't do this," she said without much conviction. He kissed her to erase the thought from her mind. His fingers went to her jeans and managed to unzip it. He pulled it down with his foot and she shuddered as his foot brushed against her thighs.

"God, you're wet," he said with a grin. She looked down and to her embarrassment, she saw that he was right. A small patch had begun to form on her underwear. Her cheeks flushed.

"You want me, don't you?" he asked. His hand trailed from her waist to the top of her underwear. He then slipped his hand underneath, trailing to her thigh. She closed her eyes in anticipation of what was to come. Suddenly she gasped loudly as his fingers came to her already wet centre. She parted her thighs instinctively as he continued his probing.

"Oh Hales," he groaned as he felt his fingers becoming increasingly slick with her wetness. He took a few steps forward until they neared the edge of the bed. He then gently pushed her down on the bed and towered over her. Without thinking her fingers went to his jeans and unzipped it in a heated frenzy. He wiggled his jeans free and tossed them carelessly, not caring where they landed. She could see the bulge in his boxers and swallowed as she imagined it being inside her.

Her head was giddy with ecstasy. Her heart was screaming that they shouldn't do this, that this could only lead to more heartache and pain, but her head was telling her otherwise. She felt his lips on her chest as his hands slipped under her lacy bra. She moaned as he gently massaged the mound. Her moans turned into a groan as he pinched her nipple.

"Nathan!" she cried.

"I know baby," he said and claimed her lips once again. Something inside of her was telling her to stop. She shook her head as her sense of sensibility came back to her.

"Wait, I can't," she said in protest, her eyes brimming with tears. He stilled at her words as his eyes searched hers.

"Why?" he asked softly. Just as he was about to answer, the sound of her cellphone ringing was heard. "Leave it," Nathan said.

She hesitated for a while as she struggled to get up. "I have to," she finally said. He finally relented and let her go. He sat up as he watched her scramble to get her phone in her jeans pocket. She managed to find it and answered it breathlessly, "Hello?"

"Mama, where are you?" she heard Jamie ask. She closed her eyes as reality came crashing down on her. She was right to stop what she and Nathan was doing. She had Jamie to think about.

"Hi honey." She tried to make her voice sound cheerful. "I'm with Daddy. I'm coming home soon okay?"

"Okay," Jamie said. "Bye Mama."

"Bye baby." She hung up and turned to Nathan. "I have to go." She saw that Nathan was staring at the ceiling. She started to get up to get her clothes when she felt his hand on her arm.

"Don't. Don't go," he pleaded.

"I have to."

"You don't have to go. You just want to. Just like you wanted to leave me four years ago."

"Nathan, I never wanted to leave you."

"Then why did you?"

"I thought you said it doesn't matter anymore?" She glared at him as she stood up. He kept silent. "Obviously it does matter. This was a mistake."

She dressed herself quietly. "Let me send you home," she heard him say.

"I'm fine."

"Hales, don't be stupid." She thought it over and nodded silently. She heard him dress himself. She didn't even look at him as she walked herself out of the house. She took in a deep breath, letting the already night air fill her lungs. She heard him close the door behind her and she silently made her way to his car. As she got there, again she felt his hand on his arm.

"I meant what I said. I love you. I want to give us another try." She hung her head. "Hales, look at me." He lifted her chin until her eyes met his.

"I'm tired of trying. You told me after the divorce that we should move on with our lives. I'm trying to. I think you should too." She gave him one last look before turning away.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry! You guys probably hate me already :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys! I know this is so out of character for me but I decided to post this new chapter. I'm not sure what your reactions are gonna be but I hope you'll like it. Let me know what you think okay? Cheers! ;)

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Chapter 10

It was a beautiful day for a wedding, Haley thought. She was seated in the front pew with Jamie by her side. She held his small hand in hers and smiled as she watched two of her bestfriends exchange their vows. Vows that were going to commit them to each other for the rest of their lives. She was aware of the glances that Nathan threw her, although she ignored them. She was aware of them. She had managed to avoid him after that day when they almost had sex. He had wanted to talk to her about it and she had flatly refused, telling him that it was a big mistake.

He saw her focusing her eyes on Lucas and Brooke at the altar, knowing that she was avoiding his eyes. Her refusal to talk to him was frustrating. That frustration quickly turned to anger. He took it as another way of her turning her back on him, just like she did four years ago. He had told her that what happened four years ago did not matter to him anymore, but he would by lying if he said that he was not curious. He heard Lucas and Brooke exchange their vows and almost scoffed. He and Haley had said the same vows, and now look what happened.

A loud cheer was suddenly heard as the priest pronounced Lucas and Brooke as husband and wife. Haley beamed as she watched Lucas kiss his new bride. Brooke looked gorgeous in the dress of her own creation. They made their way down the altar and to where she and the rest were sitting. She threw her arm around Lucas and enveloped him in a big hug.

"Congratulations Luke!" she exclaimed to her grinning friend.

"Thanks buddy," he said and hugged her back. She winked at him before turning to Brooke and giving her the same attention, all the while painfully aware that Nathan's eyes were on her, watching her every move. She stepped back and watched as the couple made their way to the exit and smiled wistfully. She felt happiness and sadness at the same time. She was happy that her two friends had found each other, and sad as she thought of how she was once in Brooke's shoes. She used to be somebody's wife. She used to be happy.

She held Jamie's hand as she followed the crowd outside the church. Nathan stood on the other side holding his other hand. To an onlooker who did not know, they looked like a perfect family. She spotted Peyton in the churchyard and stopped in her tracks. She then bent down and looked at Jamie.

"Hey buddy. I need to talk to Aunt Peyton for a while. You'll be alright with Daddy?"

"Don't worry. I'll take him," Nathan said gruffly. She nodded and made a small run towards Peyton.

"Hey," she said and tapped Peyton's shoulder. Before Peyton could reply she continued, "I need to get away. Any chance you could make it happen?"

Peyton looked bewildered for a moment. She sensed that something was wrong, although she knew about the 'almost sex' incident. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Haley nodded. "I have to go. I can't take this anymore."

"Did you tell him?" She shook her head. "Haley," Peyton sighed exasperatedly. "Why are you the one who has to go away? You need to tell him. He has a right to know too. You can't keep this a secret anymore."

She was on the verge of crying. "I know. Just give me a bit more time. I just need to get away. To think. Please," she begged Peyton.

Peyton looked at her friend and knew that she didn't have much choice. Her brain went on an overdrive as she thought of a solution. "Okay, here's what we'll do," she said as she pulled Haley to a quiet corner.

* * *

It was late in the evening when Haley stuffed her clothes in her bag as she packed hastily. Jamie watched her in confusion. "Why do you have to go Mama?"

Her hand stilled and she turned to face him. "I'm sorry honey." She sat down on the bed next to him. "Jamie, you know I'm a singer right?" Jamie nodded. "And that I have a new album out, right?" Again he nodded. "Well, I have to see some people and convince them to buy my album. That's why I have to go away."

"But you already have like a million people buying your album," Jamie said in protest.

She had to smile at that. It was true that she had legions of fans around the world, but she had agree with Peyton that the only way she could get away is by saying that she needed to promote her new albums. It was a perfect plan as she did not have to be apart from Jamie that long, and at the same time she could use the time to think about things. Peyton had arranged for her to go back to LA where she'll meet her new promotional manager, Connor Walker to discuss her promotional tactics in Europe.

"I'm really sorry but you'll have your dad with your for three whole months. That's good right?"

"Yeah, I guess," he said. "But I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too buddy." She pulled him up on her lap and hugged him. "You be good okay. And listen to Daddy. Promise me?"

"I promise."

"Good boy. Mama loves you so much," she said and pulled him close. She was gonna miss Jamie, his smell, the way his body felt when he snuggled next to her in bed. Her heart constricted at the thought of leaving him behind.

The sound of someone clearing his throat made her turn. It was Nathan standing in the doorway looking in. "Peyton told me you're leaving."

"Yeah, I am. Tonight. I meant to call you. Would it be okay if Jamie stayed with you?" she said and continued with her packing.

"Jamie, why don't you play outside for a minute. Daddy needs to talk to Mama okay?"

"Okay Daddy," Jamie said and bounded off the bed. Nathan looked over his shoulder to make sure that they were alone.

"How long will you be gone?" he asked quietly.

"Three months," she said without looking up.

He placed his hand on hers. "Why are you doing this?"

"I'm not doing anything. I have to promote my album," she said and pulled her hand away.

"That's bullshit. You're running away. Again," he retorted. He roughly grabbed her and spun her around until she was facing him. "Now, do you wanna tell me again why you're doing this?"

"Nathan, you're hurting me," she hissed. Her head was throbbing and she felt a tear threatening to fall, and still she held it back. "Let me go!"

"I've already done that, remember," he said angrily and pushed her away. "You know what? You're one selfish bitch. All you think about is yourself. Your tour. Your album. Your career. It's all you. Isn't that why you left? So that you could be the huge superstar that you are today?"

"Nathan stop it," she said and zipped her bag. She made sure that she had not left anything behind before dragging the bag along with her.

"Yup, go. Leave. You're very good at that obviously."

She felt his anger, and it matched her own. "You're still not over that, huh?" she said. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her fingers were trembling. She felt her anger rise up like a molten lava threatening to spew out of a volcano. "Nathan, before you stop pointing fingers, why don't you look at yourself in the mirror first? And then we can talk."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I told you that you I loved you. I made a promise on our wedding day to be faithful to you, to love you until death do us part and I'm still holding on to that vow eventhough I don't have to anymore. Can you say the same thing about the vow you made?" she asked, her voice trembling as a steady flow of tears ran unchecked on her cheeks.

"What?-"

"Even after all that happened, I still love you. Call me stupid and ignorant. Call me whatever you want but you are the love of my life," she said and hastily wiped her tears away as the sound of a honking horn was heard. "I have to go. My cab's here. Please take good care of Jamie" she said with a tone of finality in her voice.

"What's all the commotion in here?" Peyton said in a rush as she barged in the room. She saw Nathan and Haley glaring at each other and felt her own anger rise. "What did you do to her Nathan?"

Haley put her hand on Peyton's arm to calm her down. "It's okay. I'm okay. I have to go. Just let me say goodbye to Jamie first," she said and walked out of the room, leaving Peyton and Nathan alone.

"Yeah okay," Peyton said. "He's with Jake in the living room." She made sure that Haley was gone before walking over to Nathan and slapped him hard across the face. "You son of a bitch!" she yelled.

"What the hell Peyton," Nathan yelled back. He was surprised that her slap really stung.

"What did you say to her?"

He rubbed his cheek, hoping that the stinging pain would go away. "She was leaving again Peyton. What else could I say. I told her that she was selfish for doing this again."

She shook her head in disbelief. She wanted to so bad to hit him again but she controlled herself. They had been friends since they were toddlers and yet right now, all she felt for him was hatred and disappointment. She was spared from spewing another set of expletives when Jake came in the room. He immediately sensed that something was wrong when he saw the look on Peyton's face.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Peyton shook her head. "No I'm not okay," she said although she didn't offer any explanation. "What's up?"

Jake looked at them curiously. Something must have happened for Peyton to be this angry, but knowing her, she would tell him in her own time. "Erm...Brooke and Lucas are here. They heard that Haley was leaving. They wanted to say goodbye."

"Well, it's too late for that isn't it? She's already gone," she said. She then sighed and said to Jake. "Okay, I'll come out in a minute."

Nathan grabbed her hand. "Wait, we're not done here. You know something don't you? You know why she left." Her look said it all. "You have to tell me."

"I don't have to tell you anything," she said and yanked her hand away before walking off into the living room in a huff. She knew he was closely behind her.

"Tell me Peyton or I swear to God-"

She turned around and looked at him angrily. "What? What are you gonna do?" she challenged him.

"What the hell is going on here?" Lucas exclaimed. Like Jake, she had never seen Peyton this angry. "Where's Haley?"

"She left. She said to tell you that she'll see you guys in a couple of months," Peyton said.

"She left?" It was Brooke's turn to look bewildered. "But she didn't even say goodbye," she complained. "And why are you so worked up anyway?" she asked Nathan.

"Peyton knows why Haley left me and she wouldn't tell me about it." He looked at Lucas and noticed that he had a guilty look on his face. "You know too?"

"And you didn't tell me?" Brooke wailed as she punched Lucas on the arm.

Lucas held up his hand in surrender. "I made her a promise not to tell anybody."

Nathan ran his fingers through his hair exasperatedly. The anger had somewhat dissipated and had turned to curiosity. "Who else knows?"

"Dad," Lucas said.

Peyton looked surprised. "Dan knows? You know what, I've been keeping this a secret for a long time and I can't take it anymore. I think it's time we let this out in the open." She looked Lucas in the eye and asked, "so what did Haley tell you?"

He looked unsure for a moment but decided that since Haley was not there to be mad at him, he might as well tell them. He would deal with the repercussions later. He shrugged and said, "she left coz she wanted Nathan to focus on his NBA. She said that if Nathan had gone with her, he would blow his shot at the NBA."

Peyton covered her face with her hands. "Is that what she told you and Dan? Dammit Haley!" she cursed out loud.

Nathan looked stunned. Peyton looked at him angrily and said, "wipe that look off your face and save it for later Nate. That's not why she left."

"You mean she lied to me and Dan?" Lucas asked in disbelief. "Why would she do that?"

Peyton then said to Jake, "honey, could you put Jamie to bed please? I don't want him to hear this."

"I'm on it," Jake said hurriedly. "I'll be right back."

"I think we should all sit down while I make some coffee. I have a feeling this is gonna be a long night," Peyton said and headed towards the kitchen.

Brooke noticed that Nathan had been keeping quiet through all the commotion. She sat next to him and said, "are you alright? You're awfully quiet."

"I don't know," he said. "It's so like Haley if she left me to make sure that I was focusing on NBA, but now Peyton's telling me that that's not the reason. What else could there be?" Suddenly he felt as if he didn't know her anymore. They had always shared everything when they were together. What had happened that had pushed her to leave?

Jake then entered the living room. "Jamie's sleeping. He must be exhausted."

Nathan looked at him gratefully. "Thanks man," he said and made a mental note to check on Jamie later. Just then Peyton appeared and handed each one of them a steaming mug of coffee.

She sat down on the couch and looked around at her friends' expectant faces. She then focused her attention to Nathan. "Nathan, before I tell you I just want you to know that I know how much you love Haley and she loves you. She still does although God knows why." Nathan nodded. "And I want you to promise that whatever I'm gonna tell you next will not make you feel any different about your son."

"Jamie?" Nathan asked in confusion. "What's he got to do with all this? I don't understand."

Peyton took in a deep breath and prepared herself for what she was going to say next. "Jamie is your son. But he's not Haley's."


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the long wait guys. I know I left the story hanging like that and hopefully this chapter will make it up to you. I hope you guys will like it. Let me know what you think. Cheers! :)

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Chapter 11

"What did you just say?" Nathan asked incredulously. He looked at Peyton with a shocked expression on his face.

"Jamie's your son. But he's not Haley," Peyton repeated calmly. Nathan felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. He couldn't breath. How is that possible? he though. He searched his brain for answers. And then he closed his eyes as it suddenly dawned on him.

Peyton noticed the look of comprehension on his face and looked around the room. The rest of the gang was silent with shock. Brooke had a weird look on her face as her mouth hung open.

"I'm sorry. I don't get it. How is that possible?" Lucas asked. He looked at Nathan searchingly. Peyton gave Nathan a pointed look.

"Should I tell them or do you wanna have the honours?" she asked dryly. She knew that so many years had passed since that fateful night, and still she couldn't forgive him for what he did to Haley.

Nathan looked around at the shocked faces. So many thoughts ran through his mind. He had pushed that memory as far back in his head as he could. He couldn't believe that it was coming back to haunt him now.

"Peyton, could you please tell us what's going on?" Brooke said impatiently. This is not how I want to spend my wedding night, she thought.

Peyton looked at the expectant faces of her friends, except for Nathan who looked like he was about to throw up. "Remember the time when that guy Chris Keller came to town? The dude who likes to refer to himself in the third person?"

"Yeah the weird dude," Jake quipped.

"Weird or not, he's a musical genius," Peyton said. "He discovered Haley's talent for singing and songwriting and started talking to her about going on tour with him." She turned to Nathan and said pointedly, "and you flipped. You and Haley had a big argument about it."

Nathan hung his head and closed his eyes as he remembered that night. It came back to him as clear as day.

_Flashback_

_"What do you mean he asked you to go on a tour with him?" Nathan asked, his eyes flashing with anger. They were walking towards his dorm when she broke the news to him. She had decided to forgo her plans of going to Standford. Instead she followed him to Duke. "When did he ask you?"_

_She looked at him guiltily. "Last week."_

_"And you waited till now to tell me? What the hell Haley?"_

_"I knew you were gonna be like this. I knew you were gonna flip!"_

_"Damn right I'd flip!" He looked at her enquiringly and forced himself to calm down. They had reached the front of his dorm. "So have you decided?"_

_"No, I haven't. I thought I'd talk to you first."_

_"That's mighty big of you," he said sarcastically and opened the door. _

_"Nathan, please don't be like this."_

_"Be like what Hales? We were fine until this Chris Keller came around. And now out of the blue you're telling me that you're gonna go on a tour with him?"_

_"I never said that I was going to? I just thought that since we're graduating from college next week it would be a good idea to go on that tour. It's just gonna be for a month."_

_"A month?!" he asked incredulously. Haley, a second without you is bad enough, let alone a month, he thought. "You know what?" he said suddenly. "I need some fresh air. I'll see you later."_

_"But we just got here!"_

_"Whatever Hales. I'm gonna go."_

_End of flashback_

Nathan remembered that day clearly now. He had gone to the bar and had gotten himself drunk. He didn't want to go back because he knew she would be waiting for him and they would get into another argument with her, which was the last thing he wanted. So he stayed and downed one shotglass after another, hoping that the drinks would numb his brain. He remembered that a girl approached her. She said her name was Kelly. He tried to brush her off but she would not go away. The next thing he knew they were kissing at some back alley. He knew it was the stupidest thing he could have ever done but they had sex that night right there and then. He was too ashamed with himself and did not tell Haley about it, hoping that Kelly was just another problem that would eventually go away by itself. She did disappear after that night, much to his relief.

A lot of good that did, he thought morosely. It still did not explain everything though, he thought.

"Wait a minute. But what's that got to do with her leaving? How did she know about it?" Nathan asked Peyton.

She sighed and sat down on the couch. "The night before she left she got a phone call. It was from Kelly. She told her what happened and she told her that she was pregnant with your baby. At that time you guys were just a couple of months being married and at first Haley didn't believe it but she finally made the connection with the night that you argued about the tour. The time line did match up. After the night that you argued, you guys made up and you proposed to her. You came to a compromise that she waited till you guys got married before going on the tour so you could join her."

"I still don't see why she didn't tell me that she knew," Nathan said.

"Your career was just starting to take off Nate. You've had plenty of calls from NBA scouts wanting to take you in. Kelly was basically threatening Haley that if you didn't come clean about the baby she would and that would be the end of your career. As shocked as Haley was, she decided that your career was much more important than her anger and disappointment with you. So she decided to meet up with Kelly and talk to her. That was why she left."

"But she showed up at my house one day telling me that she was pregnant. Was that a lie?"

Peyton shook her head sadly. "No, she was telling the truth. She was pregnant-"

"So what happened?" Lucas finally asked after a prolonged silence.

"It was a still born. She managed to track Kelly down in LA. Apparently Kelly was a runaway and when she found out that she was carrying your child, she was scared. That was why she called your house. She didn't mean any harm. She was just a scared kid and she had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. The day that she was in labour Haley had contractions too. They were together when it happened so they were rushed to the same hospital. There were some complications and Haley's baby didn't make it, but Kelly's did."

Peyton took a deep breath before continuing. "But Kelly had some complications of her own too. She lost a lot of blood and the doctor told us that she might not make it."

Nathan looked up with a start. "The doctor told us? You were there too?"

This time Peyton had tears in her eyes. "Yeah I was. Haley called me a few days before and told me all about it. She wanted someone to talk to and I flew in to be with her. Kelly passed away that night but not before she told Haley to take care of her son. By this time they had formed some sort of friendship. She managed to persuade the doctor to put her name as the baby's mother instead of Kelly and the doctor seeing that it was Kelly's dying wish agreed to it."

Nathan remembered the first time he had seen Jamie in her arms. He had not suspected a single thing.

"But how did Haley know for sure that the baby was Nathan's son?" Brooke asked.

"The night that Haley showed up at Nathan's house and told him that she was pregnant, he didn't believe her. Or at least didn't believe that the baby was his. He was still angry at her for leaving and demanded that she took a DNA test. Haley did the same DNA test on Kelly's baby too."

"Oh my God," Nathan said in anguish. He couldn't believe that he was being kept in the dark all these years. He had been blaming Haley for leaving him when in fact she left because of him.

"Nathan," Lucas said and got up. The sound of his brother's voice gave him some sort of comfort. But he didn't expect the punch in the face that came next. He fell backwards with a thud and felt his face. He looked at his hand and saw that there was blood. Lucas had given him a split lip.

"You son of a bitch!" Lucas yelled. "How could you do that to her? You knew how painful it was when Dad this it to the both of us and you did the same thing to her. You pulled a Dan on her, you bastard." He grabbed Nathan's shirt and got ready for another blow.

Nathan didn't fight back. He knew he deserved it. He closed his eyes and prepared for what was to come. A second later he saw that Jake had jumped to behind Lucas and held him off.

"Luke calm down," Jake said.

"I can't calm down. She left because of that bastard. I'm ashamed to call you my brother Nathan," he spat venomously.

It took him a few minutes to collect himself and when he did, the first thing he said was, "I have to find her." He got up and walked unsteadily towards Peyton. "I have to find her," he repeated. "Where did she go?"

She shook her head. "I can't tell you. She made me promise not to tell you. Nathan, she was hurt and rightly so. She needed to get away to clear her head. I think you should do the same." He understood then why Peyton was so angry with him. She had been harboring this secret for so long. Seeing him must not have been easy for her.

He then let his eyes drop to where Lucas was standing with anger still evident in his eyes. "Luke," he started to say.

"I have nothing to say to you," he said angrily. "Come on Brooke. Let's go." Brooke looked lost and exchanged looks with Peyton who just shrugged. Without saying anything, she took his jacket and left with Lucas.

Peyton watched the whole scene unfolding. "Me and Jake are gonna leave you alone so you could process all this. I know this is a lot to take in. We'll be back in a couple of hours."

"I know you hate me," Nathan said flatly and looked at her. "I don't blame you. I hate myself too," he said before making his way to Jamie's room.

"Nathan," Peyton said. She walked up to him and touched his arm. "I don't hate you. I'm just disappointed with you. And extremely sad for Haley. But it's done. You can't change what happened."

Nathan nodded blankly and turned his back against them. Jake and Peyton exchanged sad looks before making their own way out. "Wait." Nathan's voice stopped them in their tracks. "Why didn't she tell me?"

Peyton looked at him straight in the eyes. "She didn't want you to take Jamie away from her. Jamie was all she got." He nodded in understanding. "Thank you for telling me." He then went to Jamie's room, only to find him already fast asleep. He sat down at the edge of his bed and smoothed down his dirty blond hair. He recalled the events of that night and felt his heart laden with grief. He then kissed Jamie's cheek softly. That was when he broke down and cried.

* * *

One month later

It was cold and windy in Cardiff marking the beginning of the autumn season. Haley was glad to be out of the cold, if only for a few minutes and back in her limo where Connor Walker, her promotional manager was waiting. They were headed to the City Hall where she would be making her press conference to promote her album. Cardiff was one of her stops in her European Tour and she absolutely loved it. It was the capital of Wales and yet there was something quaint and laid back about it.

"Are you ready?" Connor asked. He gave her an admiring look, approving her choice of clothes. She was dressed casually in her autumn jacket and black pants and he knew that underneath that jacket, she was wearing something sexy and yet not too revealing. He had been following her work even before the tour and he liked what he heard. He thought that her personality matched her songs and was surprised but glad to find out that underneath all the glamour she was just like any other girl next door.

She gave him a huge smile. "Ready as I'll ever be," she said. She was glad that Peyton had picked Connor to come with her on the tour. He was a likable guy and although he had ideas of his own, he always considered her ideas too. She had to admit that they worked pretty well together and although they had just known each other for a couple of weeks, she felt a tiny hint of sadness because she knew that this collaboration was going to end as soon as the tour ended. She looked out the window and thought of Tree Hill.

"Thinking of your son?" Connor asked.

She turned to him and smiled. She had already told him about Jamie early on when he caught her making long phone calls, thinking that she was calling a boyfriend. He already knew that she was not married. It was then she told him about Jamie. She was apprehensive when she told him, for fear that he would be judgmental, but instead he did not which made her like him more.

"Yeah, it's only been a month and I miss him like crazy," she said.

He nodded. "I know what you mean." She gave him a look that made him laugh. "Don't get me wrong. I don't have a kid of my own but I have a two year old niece whom I absolutely adore. And everytime I leave her, it gives me a sinking feeling."

"Wow Connor, who knew that you were such a softie," she said with a laugh. They talked comfortably in the limo, although at times her mind went back to Nathan and the argument they had before she left. Peyton had been true to her word and did not let Nathan know where she was. She felt a chill along her spine as she recalled her last conversation with Peyton. He knows, was all that she said and Haley immediately understood what she meant. A part of her was glad that he knew. Another part made her scared of what was going to happen next. Even through it all, she hated the fact that her heart still ached for him. She was glad when the car came to a stop and she was spared from further thoughts of him. She plastered on a big smile on her face as she stepped out of the limo and into the big hall.

Back in Tree Hill Nathan was still trying to pester Peyton into telling him where Haley was. He had even scoured all the glossy magazines for a hint of where she was but he knew that it was of no use, as the news would have been a few days old and she would have gone somewhere else. Lucas had began talking to him again, although Nathan could still find a hint of anger in his voice when he talked. Lucas had gone by his house after his honeymoon and they had talked.

_Flashback_

_Nathan opened the door only to find Lucas standing in the doorway. To say that he was shocked was an understatement. He would have thought that after Peyton's revelation, it would take longer for Lucas to start talking to him again. _

_Lucas was equally shocked when he saw him. He was dishevelled and his hair was unkempt. He had started growing a beard and he looked like he hadn't showered for days. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked._

_Nathan simply shrugged and let him in. Lucas knew that at this point of time, arguing with him about Haley or throwing punches at him would be of no use. He saw that his brother was already a broken man and although he rarely said it, he loved Nathan. _

_"Are you alright man?" Lucas asked, his eyes filled with brotherly concern._

_"I'm fine," Nathan muttered. _

_"Where's Jamie?"_

_"With Peyton and Jake."_

_"I'm sorry Nate."_

_He looked up in surprise. He didn't see that coming. "Why? It was my mistake."_

_"It was and I'll be the first to say that you're an idiot for doing that to Haley but I know you love her still. I know you're in pain."_

_"Like you have no idea," he replied brokenly._

_End of flashback_

With an exasperated sigh, he realized that there was nothing he could do to make Peyton talk. And so he decided to wait for her to return and make things right with her. In the meantime, he knew that he should focus on Jamie. It wasn't often that he got to spend time with his son. And Peyton was wrong, the fact that Haley wasn't Jamie's biological mother did not make him love Jamie less. In fact, it had made him love the little boy even more, knowing that he had done wrong by his real mother.

"Jamie!" he yelled. "Are you ready?" He was going to take Jamie to Rivercourt, knowing that he would love that. It was a perfect day to be out in the sun, albeit a little cold. The only thing missing was his Haley.


	12. Chapter 12

**I haven't updated in a month?! Yikes! Sorry guys (grinning sheepishly). Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter. I really appreciate every single one of them. So here's the new one. I hope you guys will like it. Cheers!

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Chapter 12

In the end it was Jamie who spilled the beans. He and Nathan were hanging out at the River Walk after spending the morning goofing around at the River Court. Nathan had treated him to ice cream. For some reason, Jamie insisted that they had ice cream, eventhough it was the fall. The wind was blowing and Nathan watched in amusement as Jamie licked his ice cream zealously, completely oblivious to the cold. Watching him it made Nathan's heart tug. He was still reeling from the fact that Jamie was not Haley's son, and the guilt of having abandoned her at her time of need was starting to eat him alive.

"So what's with the ice cream? It's freezing," Nathan commented as they walked along the River Walk. Jamie's ice cream was starting to trickle down onto his small hand.

Jamie shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes still fixed on the ice cream. "I do it all the time with Mama. The colder it is, the more ice cream we eat."

"Yeah, your mom is weird like that," he commented softly. His face took on a faraway look as he remembered all the things that he loved about Haley.

Jamie nodded in agreement. "She told me that she was taking me shopping for a Christmas tree when she comes back next month."

"Wait, you spoke to your mom?"

"Yeah, she calls me everyday."

Nathan cursed under his breath. In his attempt to play detective and find out where Haley was, he didn't realize that the answer was right in front of his eyes. She must have called Jamie in the mornings when she knew that he would be doing his therapy.

"So, when did she say she was coming back?" Nathan asked, trying to make his voice as light as he could although his heart was hammering so hard in his chest.

Jamie put a finger on his lips and thought hard. "I think she said on the first Saturday of next month." He then turned to Nathan. "Did you and Mama have a fight?"

His question made Nathan stop in his tracks. It was an agreement between him and Haley that even if they were fighting, they would keep Jamie out of it. He didn't think that Jamie was that perceptive. Evidently he was.

"Why did you say that?"

"Well, Mama looked upset before she left and you looked upset."

Nathan sighed and ruffled Jamie's head. "Jamie, sometimes grown ups have disagreements, but it's nothing you should worry your little head about." Jamie looked at him uncertainly. "I promise," Nathan said. _I'm gonna make things right_, he promised to himself.

* * *

Haley silently thanked Peyton for arranging the European tour for her. She was in a huge records store in London, signing autographs and promoting her album. Although she missed Jamie, the tour had managed to take her mind off her problems with Nathan somewhat, although she did think about him from time to time. So far the tour had been a huge success. She didn't know why she didn't do this before. She didn't realize that she had so many fans in Europe and her fans were great. She felt humbled and thankful at the same time of her success and felt a sense of contentment with the fact that her hard work had proved to be fruitful.

"The crowd's crazy huh?" she heard Connor whisper to her.

"Here you go Melinda," she said as she handed a signed copy of her album to a petite blond girl. She turned her head and smiled at Connor. "Yeah, I know! I didn't think there would be that many people who would turn up."

"I find that hard to believe Haley. You are such a talented musician. Please don't tell me that you didn't think you had this many fans," Connor said with a shake of his head.

"Well, I knew that I have a lot of fans back home, but here in Europe? It's so surreal. I guess I'm still not used to being popular."

"Now that is just fishing for compliments," Connor said with a laugh. "You must have been popular in high school and in college."

Her cheeks went red at the comment. It was true. She had been popular in high school and in college, but it was all because of Nathan.

_Flashback_

"_Oh my God! I cannot believe that they crowned me Queen of Tree Hill High!" Haley exclaimed at the party. The formal had just ended and they were partying at the Scotts family beach house. _

_Nathan looked at her in amusement. He couldn't help but notice that she looked really cute when she was excited. They had taken a walk along the beach, soaking in the night air. _

"_Well, it all comes with dating the King of Tree Hill," he mused. She still looked incredulous. "Come on Hales, you're dating the school star basketball player. What do you expect? Just hop on the train and enjoy the ride."_

"_Yeah, well it's kinda weird considering a year ago I spent the formal night with Lucas on the roof top of Karen's café playing miniature golf while making fun of the formal. And now-" She let her voice trail._

"_What's wrong?"_

"_Nathan, have I changed?"_

_He looked surprised at the question. He took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "No, Hales. You haven't changed at all. Not since the first day I saw you. You have always been this no nonsense girl. You're kind to your friends and your family. You've got integrity. You're you, which is just the way I like it."_

"_You're just saying that coz you're dating me and coz I helped you pass your math papers," she said unconvinced._

"_That too," he joked. He was quickly awarded with a swat on his arm, making him laugh. He then looked at her solemnly. "Hey," he said and cupped her face. "Have I told you you look beautiful tonight?" She gave him a shy smile in response. "I'm so in love with you Haley James."_

"_Nathan, stop it. You're embarrassing me," she said, although her heart swelled like a balloon._

"_I don't care. I love you and I'm not afraid to say it. I want you to know that I will always love you. I will always take care of you. I will always protect you."_

_Her eyes shone with tears. "I know you will," she said softly. She then stood on tiptoe and kissed him gently on the lips. _

_End of flashback_

Her cheeks turned red as she thought about kissing Nathan. Even as she thought about it, she could feel her spine tingle. Kissing him could always make her weak in the knees.

"Your cheeks are red," Connor commented.

She quickly snapped out of her trip down memory lane. "Yeah, it's pretty hot in here," she said quickly and made a show of greeting her fans to avoid further questions from him.

* * *

"So Jamie told me that Haley is coming back next month for Christmas," Nathan said as he sauntered into Peyton's kitchen.

Peyton threw a glance at Jamie who was too wrapped up in his Wii to notice. She sighed loudly and said, "okay, yeah she is." She looked at him pointedly. "You know, it's good that you know. I don't how long I can survive with all these secrets swirling in my head. I swear to God if any of you ask me to keep another secret I'm gonna slit my wrists."

Nathan fell silent. He knew how hard it must be to be in her position. "Look Peyton, I'm really sorry that you got dragged into this. And I know that you're angry with me and you have been angry all these years and I don't blame you. I treated Haley really badly and all she's ever done was taking care of Jamie when he's not even her own son."

She looked like she wanted to say something but Nathan silenced her. "But I promise you that I'm gonna make things right. I have to. I've lost her once and I'm not about to lose her again."

She gave him a small smile and sat down next to him. "That's great Nate but I'm not the one you should make that promise to. Why don't you tell that to Haley when she comes back?"

"Do you thinks she'll ever forgive me?"

"I think she has a long time ago. I also know that she is still in love with you."

"You think so?" he asked.

"I know so. She has never really gotten over you Nate. Come on, surely you must know that. Didn't you ever wonder why she is still single after all these years? And you must have watched her at the Grammy's or any other award she went to for that matter. She was always dateless. And I know that you have accused her of sleeping around but Nathan, you know in your heart that that is not true. You're the only guy she has ever slept with."

Nathan covered his face with his hands. "God, what have I done Peyton?"

She rubbed her hand comfortingly on his back. "You're only human Nathan. We all make mistakes. And as much as you want to, you can't undo those mistakes. The important thing is that you regret it and that you have the opportunity to fix this. Now that you know the truth, it's time that you work things out with her."

"I'm not even sure if she would listen." He ran his fingers through his hair, making it messier than it already was. "God, Peyton. I screwed things up with her. It's been four years. Maybe I'm four years too late."

"Do you really believe that?" Peyton asked. "Nate, I remember who you used to be in high school. This jerk who didn't care about anybody else but himself. But that all changed when you met Haley. Nathan, you're not that person anymore. I know that you didn't tell her about Kelly because you wanted to protect her, to spare her the hurt but you guys really need to talk about it now."

He nodded his head and closed his eyes. "Yeah, I know," he said softly. He managed a broken smile. "Thanks Peyton. You've been a good friend. More than I deserve."

She stroked his back reassuringly. "I'm always here for you guys. Just remember that." She hated seeing him like this and as much as she hated what he did to Haley, he was one of her closest friends and one thing she was not about to do was to abandon a friend a need.

* * *

He twirled the box over and over in his hand and let his mind wander. He had been meaning to give her the bracelet that Christmas but she left him before he had the chance to do so. In his moments of anger he had wanted to throw the box and the bracelet in the sea, burying it together with his memories of her but somehow, he could not bring himself to. What contained in the box was a symbol of his love for her. He knew at that time that she would love it and he could not wait to see her face when he gave it to her. But now, would she be the one throwing it in the sea instead of him?

"So we've got this party planned for Christmas at our house. Luke is getting the tree which I have personally picked out by the way and you Nate, will be in charge of refreshments," Brooke gushed as she and Lucas walked into Nathan's house, simultaneously snapping him out of his reverie. "Hey, whatcha got there?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing," he lied. He quickly slipped the box into his pocket. "So I'm in charge of refreshments huh? Yeah, sure why not? I have a feeling I'll be doing a lot of drinking."

"Can I have some too Daddy?" Jamie asked as he ran into the room and made his way onto Nathan's laps.

He laughed. "No you cannot have some, you cheeky little monkey. But you can have juice. Lots of them. How does that sound?"

Jamie looked unconvinced. "Okay, I guess. But will I have to wear a shirt and tie?"

"Yes, you do. It's Christmas and everybody will be all dressed up. You don't want to be left out, do you?" Lucas coaxed him.

"Okay, Mama says I look handsome in a suit," Jamie said eagerly, much to the consternation of Nathan. His heart would skip a beat whenever there was a mention of Haley. The thought of her coming back filled him with anticipation and dread at the same time.

"Yes, you do," Nathan said with a forced smile. "Now get your butt in the bath and let me talk to Uncle Lucas and Aunt Brooke okay? I'll be there with you in a sec." He watched as Jamie obediently made his way to the bathroom.

"How are you doing?" Lucas asked and sat down on the couch, while Brooke did the same thing. They both watched him worriedly. "Are you okay man?"

"No, not really. I just..." He shook his head. "You know what, let's not talk about this. The more I think about it, the more my head hurts. Not to mention my heart." Brooke exchanged looks with Lucas. "So how's everything going with you guys?"

"It's been great. More than great actually," Brooke said with a smile. "I don't know why it took me this long to say yes to Lucas," she said, remembering the many times that Lucas had proposed to her. "Being married is great." She pursed her lips when she saw the stricken look on Nathan's face. "I'm so sorry Nathan. I didn't mean to-"

Nathan held up his hand and smiled. "No, it's okay. I'm glad that you and Lucas found each other. Just don't screw this up like I did," he said wryly. "Have you guys spoken to her?" he asked.

"Yeah, I spoke to her this afternoon," Brooke said. Now that Nathan knew when Haley was coming back, she didn't have to pretend any longer. "She's really excited about seeing Jamie."

"Did she...did she ask about me?" Nathan asked hopefully. The guilty look on Brooke's face told him the answer. "Yeah, I thought so."

"Sorry Nate." She bit her lips, hoping that there was more she could do.

"It's fine." There was a moment of awkwardness in the room. He started to get up. "I'm gonna go tuck Jamie in. I'll be back in a sec." He didn't wait for their response. He's had enough pity from his friends. He didn't know how he was going to survive the two weeks before she came back. He felt a flutter in his stomachch at the thought of seeing her again. _God I feel like such a girl_, he thought in amusement as he walked in Jamie's room.

"Are you in bed yet, little man?" he called out. He saw Jamie's small body scrambling to get to bed and snickered. "Okay, get in," he commanded.

"Daddy, will you tell me a story?" Jamie asked.

This was unusual. Jamie would always ask to be read to. "A story? What kind of story would you like to hear?"

"How about how you and Mama met?" he asked innocently. Nathan's heart skipped a beat and he went quiet.

"Jamie, it was a long time ago. I don't think you want to hear it."

"Don't you remember?"

"Of course I remember," he said softly. How could he forget? He looked at Jamie, his childlike face so fulll of innocence. He got in bed with him and cradled him in his arm. He took a deep breath, knowing that this was gonna be painful.

"Your Mama was the smartest girl in school," he began. "That was how I came to know her." He watched Jamie's face as he told him the story. To his surprise, the words came out easily. He told him how she didn't like him at first. He told him what he loved about her. He told Jamie how much like her he was, making him beam with pride. "We got married, and then you came along."

"How come you guys are divorced?"

He mulled over the question, thinking of how he was going to answer the question. "I made a mistake. Actually I made a lot of mistakes with your Mama," he confessed.

"Are you sorry?"

"Very much."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you," Jamie said confidently.

"I hope so," Nathan said and gave him a small smile. "Okay, time for bed. It's way past your bedtime already."

"But Dad!" Jamie wailed in protest.

"Nope, bed. Now." He ruffled Jamie's head and kissed him tenderly on the forehead.

Jamie reluctantly settled back and closed his eyes. "Goodnight Daddy."

"Goodnight Jamie."

"Goodnight Mama," Jamie said sleepily.

He got up slowly, making sure he didn't wake Jamie up. Switching off the light in the room, he whispered into the darkness, "goodnight Hales."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello guys. Gosh it's been so long since I last updated. My bad but work's been crazy. Now that OTH is over for the season, writing about my favourite characters seems like a good idea. Speaking of which, how odd was it that Lucas and Peyton left without any rhyme nor reason. Are they just gonna disappear just like that? Although I'm so happy for Nathan. He got his dream career and his dream family. Naley was awesome as usual! I'm psyched about Julian returning next season and him and Brooke have a great chemistry. The finale was good although like I said, Lucas and Peyton and Sawyer leaving like that bothered me a bit. Anyway, enough rambling. Here's the next chapter. I hope it doesn't disappoint. And thanks for the awesome reviews for the last chapter. I really appreciate you guys encouraging me. Cheers! xoxo

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Chapter 13

She felt the airplane dip slightly, preparing itself for landing. She took a deep breath, unaware that she was gripping her seat so tight. She was excited to see Jamie. She had missed him so much since she went on her European tour. At the same time she was apprehensive about seeing Nathan again. The tour had done her a lot of good. Being away from Tree Hill and from Nathan had given her a semblance of peace. But it didn't stop her from thinking about him every now and then. She realized that telling him that she still loved him at the Rivercourt was a mistake. She still did love him. That had not changed. In fact she knew that it would never change. He was the love of her life, which was why she had rejected so many advances from men before. She knew that they would pale in comparison to him.

She wondered if he was going to be at the airport with Jamie. Was she hoping that he was? She shook her head. She didn't know anymore. There were a lot of things that she wasn't sure anymore. Her heart beat faster when she heard the captain telling the passengers that they were landing in five minutes. She held her breath, knowing that nothing she could do would prepare her for her meeting with Nathan again.

He searched through the crowd for signs of her. The airport was busy with the Christmas crowd, making his task a bit more difficult. His tiny head bobbed up and down in excitement.

"I see her!" Jamie said, and pointed at Haley. "Mama!" He ran and rushed towards her, almost knocking her back. She laughed and hugged him tight.

"Hey buddy. God, I've missed you so much!" she said and kissed him all over his face, before pulling him back for another hug.

"Mama, you're kinda suffocating me," Jamie said and wriggled in her arms.

She laughed. "I'm sorry," she said and stood up. She gave him the once over and looked at him critically. "Did you grow taller since I left?"

He stood up straighter and beamed. "Did I?"

"I think you must have." She took his face in her hands and said, "well, don't grow up too fast, little man. Who are you here with?" she asked and held her breath.

"Uncle Lucas drove us here," he said and pointed at Lucas, who waved.

"Oh." There was a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Where's Daddy?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Daddy's helping Aunt Brooke and Aunt Peyton with the Christmas party." Haley nodded in understanding. Peyton had told her about the Christmas party last week. "Hey Luke." She wrapped her arms around him as he came near.

"Welcome home Hales. How was the tour?" he asked conversationally as they walked back to his car.

She smiled. "It was great. It was better than I had hoped." She then stole a glance at Jamie who was holding her hand. "But right now, I'm looking forward to spending Christmas in Tree Hill."

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "You sure about that?"

She took in a deep breath and said confidently. "Yeah, I'm sure."

* * *

Nathan looked in the mirror and straightened his tie for the hundredth time. He was never good at ties. When he and Haley were together, it was her who always did his tie, although she did it after teasing him about him ineptitude. He couldn't wait to see her tonight. He had not seen her since she came back yesterday. He knew that she must have wanted to spend some time with Jamie and he let her. Besides, he wanted to prepare himself for what he knew was going to be a difficult conversation between them.

"You look dashing," a voice came from behind him, making him jump. He turned around and saw Peyton giving him a silent approval of his looks.

"Thanks," he said and continued to touch his tie, still unsatisfied with it. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. He suddenly felt like a girl but he wanted to look nice enough, at least in Haley's eyes.

"Here, let me help," Peyton offered and stepped up towards him. She started to fumble with his tie and said, "you're nervous." His silence confirmed her suspicion. "You'll be fine," she said with a smile and patted his chest. "All done."

"Thanks Sawyer," he said gratefully. "Is everybody here yet?" he asked tentatively.

"You mean, is Haley here yet?" He reluctantly nodded. "Yep, she just got here. Come on, we should probably go out or Brooke will have both our heads."

"Okay," he said and they started walking towards the door. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. "Peyton wait. Will I? I mean, will I be fine?" he asked.

She smiled. "Sure you will," she said confidently. "I know you love her-"

"I love her so much it's killing me inside," he confessed, cutting short her words. "I would do anything to have her back in my life, but I'm not sure if she wants to. And that scares the hell out of me."

Peyton nodded in understanding. "For what it's worth, I think she still loves you. She just needs time to get used to the idea again. You know what she's like. She's stubborn when she puts her mind to something but she'll come around. Maybe she wants to know if you're willing to do whatever it takes to fight for her, so you do that. Fight for her."

He ran his fingers through his hair. "I will," he said determinedly.

"Good," she said. "Now let's get out of here." She gave him one last look and said, "by the way, when you see her, try not to stare."

Nathan's face took on a perplexed look but he didn't have to figure out what she meant. Instead, he took a deep breath knowing that all he could do now was to step out of that room and face the only woman he had ever loved.

* * *

Haley was equally nervous as she mingled with her friends and family who had all gathered for the party. To ease her nervousness, she had started sipping a glass of champagne, at the same time careful not to drink too much, knowing full well that alcohol and her do not mix that well. Her eyes fell on Karen and she watched with fondness the woman she had thought of as her mother. She looked at Dan, the tall man who had been protective of her as if she was his own daughter. She watched Deb, the mother of the man she loved hanging to every word Jamie was saying to her. She had always found their situation amazing, Karen who had been Dan's sweetheart in high school and had borne him a son. Dan had left her just before he found out that she was pregnant and for some reason, she had forgiven him. And Deb, the woman that Dan had ended up marrying and had given him Nathan. The three of them had continued to be good friends. She wondered if she could ever be that way with Nathan. She shook her head and tried to get him out of her head. Instead, she looked around in amazement at what Brooke had done to her living room. The decoration was stunning, giving an atmosphere of festivity while at the same elegant, as only Brooke was capable of doing. As if on cue, Brooke came up next to her, grinning from ear to ear.

"Brooke, this is really awesome. You really pulled this off Tigger," she said, referring to the nickname that they had christened Brooke.

"You think so?" Brooke asked.

Haley laughed, knowing that she was just fishing for compliments. "Don't push it."

"You're cruel," she said with a pout. "I'm still angry with you by the way."

"What the hell for?" Haley asked in surprise.

"You left for the tour without telling me. One day after my wedding. The next thing I knew, poof! You were gone!"

"Poof?" Haley asked, trying to keep from laughing.

"Yeah, poof. And what are you sniggering at?" Brooke asked in annoyance.

Haley rubbed Brooke's arm comfortingly. "I'm so sorry for leaving like that. I just had to-"

"Get away from Nathan?"

Haley watched Brooke's face carefully. Brooke may not be the smartest girl in school, but she did know her best friends really well.

"Why do you say that?" she asked and took another sip of her champagne. _Okay, I think that's enough champagne for one night,_ she made a mental note to herself.

Brooke shrugged. "Well, since we all know what happened, including Nathan, I figured that maybe you just had to get away," she said while giving Haley a pointed look.

She almost choked on her champagne when she heard the words coming out of Brooke's mouth. "What do you mean?" she said while trying to keep a straight face.

Brooke rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Haley, stop all these pretending. It's bad enough that you kept it a secret from me, but pretending to not know what I'm talking about, that's unforgivable."

She felt her body go stiff. _Nathan knows._ "Peyton told you?" she finally asked. Brooke nodded.

"I need to sit," Haley said. She suddenly felt unable to breath. The room had started spinning around her and had Brooke not taken her arm, she was pretty sure she would fall to the floor.

"Haley? It's okay honey. I've got you," Brooke said and put her arm around Haley's small waist as she tried to support her weight. "Nathan!" she called out.

Haley shook her head. "No, not Nathan. I'm fine Brooke."

Brooke ignored her and continued to yell. By this time the room had fallen silent as the group of people suddenly realized what had happened.

"Mama?" Jamie's small voice was heard, fear evident in his voice. Nathan who had been watching Haley all night quickly rushed to her side.

"Haley, are you okay?" he asked, his voice hinging on panic. "What happened." He took over from Brooke and held Haley.

She tried to stand on her own and said, her voice wavering slightly, "I'm fine. You can take your hand off me."

"Haley, you're not fine," Nathan said, his gruff voice sending shivers down her spine. "Come here," he said and led Haley to Brooke's room. He looked at Brooke who nodded, her face gone white with fear.

He led Haley to the bed and sat her down. "You should lie down," he said.

"Nathan, I'm fine. Jamie," she said. She knew that she had scared the small boy and started to get up.

"Jamie's fine. My mom's got him. You on the other hand, are obviously not. Now lie down," he instructed.

"Nathan, I am not a child," she protested.

"Will you stop being stubborn and do as you're told," Nathan said exasperatedly. They glared at each other for a few seconds before she complied, albeit reluctantly. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. After a few seconds she gave up. How could she relax with him being so near her? Before she knew it, she felt his fingers on her face, caressing it lightly. She opened her eyes and saw his concerned face.

"Feel better?" he asked softly. He smoothed a few loose tendrils from her face, not knowing that every touch on her face made her tremble. She nodded slowly. "You scared me," he confessed.

"It was the champagne. I shouldn't have drank so much," she said. _That and the fact that you now know what happened. _"I'm ready to go out now," she said and started to get up. He didn't move from the bed and for a while they just sat there next to each other.

"We need to talk," Nathan said quietly.

"There's nothing to talk about," she said and got up. He grabbed her hand and stopped her from leaving.

"Hales," he said softly. "We need to talk," he insisted. "Please," he said.

She knew she couldn't run away anymore. Now that he knew, she realized that it was only a matter of time before he confronted her. _Better get it over with, Haley_, she said to herself. "Okay, we'll talk. After the party. I don't want to ruin it for Brooke," she said.

"After the party's fine," Nathan agreed. "By the way, you look amazing," he said. He now understood what Peyton was telling him. She looked beautiful. The simplicity of the green dress that she wore did not mar the fact that the dress suited her perfectly. She had let her now dark brown hair down, which was how he liked it. She did not look a day over twenty two, he thought.

"Thank you," she said almost shyly. "You look...nice," she said. He was disappointed with her words. He had wanted to impress her. Apparently, it didn't work.

"That's it? Nice?"

"Your tie's crooked," she commented and she automatically went up to him to straighten the tie. He held his breath as he savoured her nearness. She patted his chest softly. "That's better," she said. Their eyes locked for a moment before she pulled her gaze away. "We'd better get back. Jamie must be worried."

"Yeah, we should. Wait, are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine. Thank you," she said politely. As soon as she stepped out the room, Jamie bounded on her. "Hey, little man," she said and carried him in her arms. She knew that he was to be big to be carried, but she just wanted to hold him. "Did I scare you?" Jamie nodded. She kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry baby. I'm okay. See?" she said with a smile.

Jamie looked at her carefully and after being satisfied that was indeed alright, said, "Okay. Can I get down now?"

Haley laughed and put her down. She smiled at the crowd standing around her. "I'm fine guys," she said and held her hand up.

"Okay," Brooke said with a sigh of relief. "Why don't we eat? We don't want the food to get cold," she said and led everybody to the table. Everybody settled down and before long, the room was filled once again with their voices. Haley cursed under her breath. She knew that Brooke had prepared the seating arrangement and had purposely sat her next to Nathan. Not that he was complaining.

"Everything's so good," Peyton said as she happily munched on her food. "Karen, you have outdone yourself this time," she said with her mouth full, making everybody laugh.

"Thank you Peyton," Karen said and beamed. Brooke had asked for her help in the kitchen, knowing that there was no way she would be able to cook without burning the house down, and Karen had happily obliged.

"Hey, I helped too," Brooke said grudgingly. Lucas laughed and kissed her on the head.

"Of course you did baby," he said soothingly. Seeing that she was pacified somewhat, he looked at Haley. "So Hales, how was your tour?"

"It was amazing. I had no idea I had so many fans in Europe."

"Come on Hales, you're good. Of course you have fans in Europe. Why wouldn't you?" Nathan commented.

She was stunned to silence by his compliment. She remembered the fight they had before she left and this 'new' Nathan unnerved her. She chose not to address his compliment. Instead she said to Peyton, "by the way Goldilocks, Connor was a heavensent. I wouldn't have been able to pull it off without him."

"Only the best for you," Peyton said with a smile.

"Wait. Connor? Who's Connor?" Nathan asked suspiciously.

"My tour manager," Haley said dismissively.

"Yeah, he's great isn't he? He's worked with a lot of people before, mostly bands. That was his first time managing a solo artist."

"Are you serious? He was like a pro out there," Haley continued to gush.

"Is he cute?" Brooke interjected. "I bet he has a cute ass," she said dreamily.

"And you're one step away from sleeping alone tonight," Lucas continued, eliciting laughter from everybody. Everybody except Nathan.

They continued to talk about her tour while Nathan ate in silence. The thought of another man being with her almost every single second of the day made him uneasy. He shot a look of daggers to Peyton, who managed to avoid his angry eyes.

_I really need to talk to her tonight_, he thought adamantly and started attacking his food as he tried to block the thought of Haley with Connor out of his head.

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**A/N: Let me know what you think. Next chapter will be the big talk :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi guys, I'm really really sorry for the long absence. I've been trying to get my stories updated but just couldn't find the time. Luckily I managed to squeeze in a few hours to update this one. I hope you guys haven't bailed out on me yet. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Hugs! xoxo

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Chapter 14

Haley picked up the last stack of plates on the table and started to walk towards the kitchen when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Here, let me help you with those." She wasn't surprised when she saw Nathan next to her. All through dinner she could feel his eyes on her, and it made her nervous.

"You don't have to. They're not that heavy," she protested.

"It's okay. I want to help," he said stubbornly and took the plates from her hands, their fingers brushing slightly. She followed him into the kitchen and directed him to the sink.

"Just leave them there. I'll do the dishes. Haley, you should rest. It's been a long day for you," Karen piped in as she strolled into the kitchen, carrying another stack of dishes.

Haley looked at her, her arms akimbo and rolled her eyes. "Karen, for the hundredth time, I'm fine."

Karen patted her arm affectionately. "I know you are. I just want you to rest. Now go. I'll handle this. By the way, Jamie's sleeping in Brooke's room. I think he's had enough excitement for one day." She saw Haley's hesitation and looked back and forth between her and Nathan. "Nathan, will you take this woman away from the kitchen please?"

"Gladly," he said with a grin, and took Haley's arm and led her out of the kitchen. "Come on, let's take a walk. We need to talk."

Her heart pounded as soon as she heard those words. "I can't. Not right now. Jamie-"

"Jamie's sleeping. He'll be fine. I'll tell Lucas. Stay right there," he commanded. She had no choice but to stay put. She had been dreading this moment all night, and now that it had arrived, she was terrified.

"Here," Nathan said and handed her her jacket. "Lucas knows we're going out. Come on."

They walked in silence. She waited for him to start speaking. He tried to find the right words to start the conversation. "It's a beautiful night," he started.

"Yeah, it is," she agreed softly. "Although I think it's going to rain," she pointed out. He looked up and saw the dark clouds clustering in the night sky.

"Nah," he said and shook his head. "It happens a lot lately. Just when you think it's going to rain, it doesn't," he commented. "Are you alright? Are you warm enough?" he asked.

"I'm fine Nathan," she said. She slowed her pace and came to a standstill soon after. He turned around, a confused look etched on his face. Before he could ask, she said, "Nathan, you said you wanted to talk."

He appeared stunned at hearing her words. He had almost forgotten the reason why they were out here. Being with her did this to him. Made him forget everything else.

"Yeah, I did," he said carefully. He made a step closer to her and studied her face. "I want you to know that Peyton told me everything," he said slowly.

She felt as if she had been punched in the gut. She knew that he knew. It was just that hearing those words coming out from his mouth made it more painful.

"Haley, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. For what I did to you," he said, feeling as if he would break down any moment now.

She tried to hold her ground and stood stiffly. "It's okay. It happened four years ago."

"No, it's not okay!" he exclaimed. "How can you say it's okay?!" he said angrily.

"What do you want me to say Nathan?" she said, her voice rising. "That I hate you for what you did to me? For sleeping with another woman while we were still together? For abandoning me when I was carrying you child? For not being there when our baby died? What? Huh?!"

"You left me!"

"No Nathan. You left me first. You left me the moment you decided to sleep with Kelly." Angry tears were starting to form in her eyes.

"Haley stop. That was a mistake. A mistake that I'm hoping to forget, but I can't because it gave me Jamie. It gave us Jamie."

"You're wrong. It gave you Jamie. Not me," she said as her tears started to spill down her cheeks. "I love that boy, with all my heart I do. But he doesn't carry my DNA."

"So what? You're his mother. The only mother he knows." He saw her wiping her tears away. It broke his heart knowing that he had caused her this much pain.

"I knew back then that I wasn't enough for you. I could never be enough for you," she said sadly.

He placed his hands on her arms and looked at her intently. "What are you talking about?"

"We were so different, Nathan. You the jock that every girl wanted to sleep with, and I was Haley the Tutor Girl," she said softly. "How could I be enough? I gave my heart to you. hat really should have been enough, but it wasn't."

He wiped the tears from her face tenderly. "You were everything to me Hales. I loved you. I still do. I can't put into words the way I feel about you, and back then when you told me that you were going on tour with some Chris Keller, I thought that I was losing you. I held on to you so tightly that when you told me you were going on that stupid tour I flipped. I know all this does not excuse the fact that I slept with Kelly, but you have to know how sorry I am."

She shook her head in despair. "Nathan, I would have asked you to come with me but you were so angry that I didn't get the chance to. I never wanted us to be apart. Back then I thought that I couldn't live without you not being with me-"

"And now?" he asked.

She looked up to him and saw the hope in his eyes. "Nathan, I've been living without you for four years. You told me at the Rivercourt that it's too late for us and I'm starting to believe that."

"Don't say that!" he said adamantly. "I know I screwed up Hales!"

"It's not about that Nathan. I'm trying to let go-"

"Let go of us. Of our feelings for each other? I tried that Hales, and it didn't work. It can't work. You know why? Because we belong together. Always and forever, remember?"

"That was just a childish dream Nathan. We were young. We thought that nothing could break us part. Well we did. And here we are," she said. She couldn't believe she was saying all these things when just a few months ago, she was pining for him to come back to her. "I don't know know what else you want from me."

"I was hoping for forgiveness," he said, his voice raw with emotion. He knew that this would be a tough conversation but now he felt as if she was slipping further away from him.

She looked at him and gave him a wry smile. "I've forgiven you a long time ago, but that doesn't make it hurt any less."

"God Hales," he said and ran his fingers through his hair. "You and me. It's not supposed to end this way."

"Maybe it is. You're just refusing to believe it," she said, her voice wavering slightly.

"And do you?" he asked.

"Do I what?"

"Believe it? Believe that we're over? Believe that there's no room in your heart for me anymore?"

"How can you say that?" she said, as tears began to form in her eyes again. "Nathan, there's an ache in my heart where you used to be. And that is not going away. You were my first love. My only love."

"So why can't we try again?" he urged. "I love you Hales," he said and looked deeply into her eyes. His eyes were so intense, so full of love and hope that she had to turn away.

"I can't. I cannot go through the pain again," she said.

"I'll never hurt you again Hales," he said and touched her face. "You may not trust me now, but you will. One day. And when that day comes, I'll be here."

She shook her head in denial. "We're done. I have to get back."

"Hales-" he begged. He felt so helpless looking into those determined eyes. He knew it would take a lot to change her mind, and just as he promised her moments before, he was ready to do anything to make her want him back.

She ignored his plea and strode back to where they came from. She could feel a chill in her bones as she walked. She pulled her jacket closer and stared ahead as tears continued to stream down her face. If she were to be honest with herself, she believed that Nathan still loved her. That he he had never stopped. But she couldn't allow herself to get hurt again. She could hear him catching up to her. She then felt his hand on her elbow.

"Hales, stop. Look at me. Please," she heard her say. She hesitated before allowing herself to turn and face him.

Brown met blue as they continued to gaze at each other. For a moment she could feel the world stop turning. That everything halted around them. Before she knew it, he cupped her chin and lowered his lips, touching hers ever so gently. She stood in shock at the touch.

"Kiss me," he whispered against her lips.

She closed her eyes, telling herself that she shouldn't allow this to happen. "Kiss me," he said gruffly.

A small sigh escaped her lips as she felt herself unable to stop what was happening. She touched his lips with hers, feeling him shudder at the touch. He couldn't stop himself. He kissed her gently and passionately, loving the feel of her lips against his. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, probing her lips, begging her for entrance. And when she finally did, he felt himself spiraling downwards at the sensation.

"It's you. It's always you," he breathed. He kissed her with all the love he felt for her. He expected her to push him away and was thankful when she did not. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Just the feel of their bodies clinging together, his mouth devouring hers. He flicked his tongue against her lips, seeking for her tongue and when he found what he was looking for, he felt as if he could explode. Only she could make him feel this way. Only his Hales. He felt a sudden sadness, remembering what he had done to hurt her. The damage that he had done.

"I love you so much," he sobbed as he felt a tear sliding down his cheek. "I'm so sorry. I need you. Don't leave me, please," he begged.

She began crying herself at his heartbreaking words. She placed both her palms against his face. "You will always have me in your heart. But I can't be with you. I'm so sorry," she said brokenly.

Just then, she felt a drop of rain on the skin of her arm. Looking up, she saw that the rain was starting to come down hard. "We'd better head back," she said as she tried to compose herself.

He looked at her with such sadness that she could almost feel her heart breaking all over again. "Yeah we should," he said. With that they both started running, leaving with the memory of that kiss etched in their hearts.

They were soaked by the time they got home. "I'm sorry. I should have known that it was going to really rain," Nathan said quietly as they walked to the door.

"It's okay. You're not the weatherman," she said jokingly, although it didn't manage to make him smile. "We should probably go in and get ourselves out of these clothes," she said. He thought she looked beautiful with her cheeks flushed and her hair wet and unkempt. She opened the door and was surprised when she was greeted with a familiar face.

"Connor," she stammered.

A sudden wave of jealousy coursed through Nathan's veins as he laid his eyes for the first time on Connor. "What are you doing here?" he heard her ask.

"I decided to take up on Peyton's offer to spend Christmas in Tree Hill," Connor said. He seemed to have noticed Nathan standing in the doorway. "Hey, I'm Connor," he said and stuck out his hand to shake Nathan's.

"Yeah, I'm sure you are," Nathan said through gritted teeth. "Hi, I'm Nathan," he said.

"Haley, you're soaked through!" Connor commented as he noticed her drenched.

"Yeah, any git could see that, you moron," Nathan said under his breath. Haley heard him and threw him a questioning look. "Come on Hales, we'd better get you out of those clothes before you catch a cold."

"Uh yeah," Haley agreed. "Wait, Peyton's offer?" She looked at Peyton who was looking guilty as hell. Haley was still reeling from the shock of seeing Connor. For some reason, she felt nervous at his presence. She knew that she and Nathan had to find a way to work things out between them, and she also knew that Connor being there was going to make things more difficult.

"So, um have you met everybody?" Haley asked and looked around the house. She saw that everybody was standing in the hall, nervousness and uncertainty etched on everyone's faces.

"Yeah, I have. They told me that you were out with-" He looked at Nathan. "Nathan." A sudden look of comprehension dawned on him. "Nathan? Nathan Scott? THE Nathan Scott?? Oh my God, it's really you!" he gushed.

Nathan couldn't help but feel amused at his enthusiasm. "Yeah, that's me."

"What are you doing here in Tree Hill?" Connor asked in confusion. "And how do you know Haley?"

"Ermm, I live here. And Haley and I, we used to be married," he said the last part of the sentence with difficulty.

"Oh," Connor said. A sudden air or discomfort permeated the room. Haley broke the silence and clapped her hand once before saying, "okay, Nathan you should change too. Peyton, can I talk to you?" she said and grabbed Peyton's hand before leading her to the kitchen. It wasn't long before Brooke followed suit.

"What the hell are you doing inviting him over for Christmas. Have you gone insane?!" she demanded.

"Yeah, P. Sawyer. I have to agree with Tutor Girl on this one. What the hell?" Brooke exclaimed in a low voice.

Peyton shrugged her shoulders guiltily. "I don't know. I was talking to him one day on the phone while you guys were doing your European tour just to find out how you guys were doing and he said something about his family going on holiday for Christmas and how he won't be able to join them because of work. And I kind of invited him over."

"How could you 'kind of invited him over'?" Brooke hissed. She didn't like where this was going. She had been hoping that Nathan and Haley could reconcile and she could already see that the path towards reconciliation would be filled with obstacles.

"It kind of happened," Peyton said defensively. "And Hales, why are you so worked up? Just a few hours ago you were gushing at how great Connor is."

"He is great Peyton, but-" She couldn't finish her sentence. "You know what? It's fine. We can't just turn him away right?"

"I can," Brooke said.

"Brooke Davis Scott, you will do no such thing," Peyton said in reprimand. "Come on, we'd better get out there. And you Hales, could do with a change of clothes. You can tell us what happened between you and Nathan on your walk later."

"Oh yeah what happened?" Brooke asked nosily.

"Get out of the kitchen right now, you two," Haley said and pointed a finger towards the hall. She was not ready to discuss what happened with her two best friends yet. Not when she herself was confused. She was glad when they obeyed her order and walking out towards the hall, she could already see that Nathan had changed and was now eyeing Connor suspiciously. _This cannot be good,_ she mused.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the long absence guys. I'm trying so hard to update my stories but in between work it's getting harder and harder to do. Anyway, thanks for all your support and please be assured that I'm not abandoning this story nor my other two fics. Love you guys! Cheers! :)

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**Chapter 15**

Nathan tossed and turned in his sleep. He turned to look at the alarm clock which showed that it was only two in the morning. The red light of the clock glared at him, as if mocking him. With a frustrated groan, he grabbed his pillow and covered his head. The moment he did that, Haley's voice rang in his head. He knew that he couldn't blame her for not wanting to be with him but that didn't stop the ache of wanting her. He could still feel her lips on his. How soft they were, how delicate her tongue tasted. The feel of her body wrapped up in his arms. How easily he let her go four years ago, and now waves upon waves of regret washed over him.

And then there was Connor. What the hell was he doing here? He could tell that this could become a problem. He wondered if Haley had feelings for him when they were touring and the feeling of jealousy almost tore him apart. He had the urge to pick up the phone and call her, if only just to hear her voice.

Two blocks away at Lucas's house, Haley was having the same problem. She tried to shut her eyes and willed sleep to come but it didn't work. She thought of Nathan and wondered if she had made the right decision. She glanced to her right and sighed. Nathan used to sleep on the right side of the bed, although sometime during the night, he would roll over and reach out for her, pulling her into a tight embrace as they slept through the night.

She wondered how he was doing after their talk. Judging from the way she was feeling, she could only imagine that it might not be different from hers. And Connor. She could have killed Peyton for inviting him over. Sure he was a nice enough guy and she knew that Peyton meant well, but she had a feeling that his presence would only complicate matters with Nathan. She silently thanked God that Connor had the good sense to spend the night at a hotel. She could only imagine Nathan's reaction if Connor were to spend the night at Lucas's or Peyton's.

She sighed and rolled over and started counting sheep to make her sleep. Ten minutes later, she was still wide awake. That was when her phone rang. She blinked in the dark momentarily, wondering who it was. Picking up her phone, she noticed with surprise that it was Nathan.

"He…Hello?" she said.

"Hey, I'm really sorry to call you in the middle of the night," Nathan said in his deep husky voice.

"It's fine. What's wrong? Is it Jamie?" she asked, worried that anything happened to Jamie who was spending the night at Nathan's.

"No, Jamie's fine. I…Ok this may sound silly but I couldn't sleep and the next thing I knew, I was dialing your number," he said. He held his breath waiting for her response. When she didn't, he said, "please don't hang up on me."

He felt relief wash over him when he heard her giggle. "I'm not gonna hang up on you. It's fine. I couldn't sleep either," she admitted.

"Some Christmas party huh?" he said as he sat up to make himself more comfortable.

She stared at the dark ceiling and nodded. "Yeah, you can say that again."

"Look I'm sorry…for what happened…in the rain," he said slowly. "I just…God Hales, I screwed up."

"It's okay," she said softly with a hint of sadness in her voice. "It wasn't all your fault. I should have talked to you about going on tour," she said referring to event that led to them being divorced. "I just never imagined that you were going to take it so badly." She fell silent for a moment before continuing, "anyway, it's all water under the bridge Nathan. We were both so young. Maybe we weren't really prepared for marriage."

He wanted to scream, to tell her that their marriage wasn't a mistake. That it was the best decision he had ever made in his entire adult life but he knew that whatever he said would not make any difference. Haley was not one to change her mind in the spur of the moment. He knew he had a lot of work to do to convince her that they belonged together.

"Yeah, well," he said. "So what's your plan for Christmas?" he asked.

"I dunno. I thought of spending it with the guys. I mean I don't see them often enough. And now that Connor's here…" her voice trailed off.

"Connor," he said under his breath. "What's the deal with him anyway? Does he like you?" he asked bluntly.

"Nathan!" she exclaimed. "He was just my concert manager. And he's my friend. It wouldn't hurt to make him feel welcome here," she said. After a while she continued. "Are you jealous?" God she felt like a schoolgirl as soon as the words came out of her mouth.

"Why should I be if you say that he's just a friend," he said reluctantly and trying to keep the edge out of his voice. He knew he didn't have the right to be jealous anymore, but he wasn't about to admit it out loud. Besides he knew he would have to be more accommodating if he would like to be in her life again. Haley fell silent. "Is this weird for you?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Me calling you in the middle of the night like this."

"No, not really," she said, surprising even herself with the answer. Truth be told it felt natural to her. They had always been able to talk when they were together. Granted they had their awkward moments when they were alone, but tonight it just felt right.

They continued to talk for a long time, although to them it felt as if time was flying by too quickly. He heard her yawn on the other side of the phone and chuckled.

"I'd better go before you start falling off to sleep and I end up talking to myself," he said.

She grinned despite herself. "Yeah, I think you'd better. I'll pick Jamie up in-" she looked at the clock next to her and was surprised to see that it was already four in the morning. "Five hours," she continued. "Gosh, we've been on the phone for hours," she mused.

"Yeah," Nathan said in a husky voice. "Look, I'm sorry if I bothered you. I shouldn't have kept you up like this."

"No, it's okay. It was fun. I'll see you tomorrow okay?" she said, her hand gripping the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Yeah, sure," he said. "And Hales, I never gave you your Christmas present," he said.

"Nathan, you don't have to."

"I already got you one," he said with a smile as he turned to look at the neatly wrapped box on his bedside table.

She groaned. "Oh great, now I have to get you one."

"Nah, it's okay Hales. I'd better not keep you any longer. Goodnight Hales," he whispered softly.

"Goodnight Nathan," she said and hung up reluctantly.

"I love you," he said, although he knew she could no longer hear her, and sighed. Placing the phone on his bedside table, he laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. And before long, he fell into a deep sleep, with a smile etched on his handsome face.

* * *

Haley didn't have time to mull over her telephone conversation with Nathan last night. Her day became hectic from the moment she woke up groggily, although thinking about it made her smile, which she swiftly erased. She didn't want it to be more than it was, a telephone conversation between two friends. She didn't want to allow anything more to happen between them. She knew what would happen if she did. One thing she was certain of, things were really getting weird between her and Nathan. One minute they were arguing and crying and the next minute they were on the phone talking the whole night away.

She pulled off the covers and got out of bed and rubbed her eyes. Last night was starting to take a toll on her. She didn't know how she was going to get through the day with her lack of sleep. Looking at the clock, she saw that she had an hour to get ready before she picked Jamie up from Nathan's place. She quickly showered and with a holler at Brooke and Lucas, with whom she was staying with, she was out of the door.

Her heart skipped a beat as she reached Nathan's front door. She knocked it hesitantly and waited for it to open and when it did, it took her breath away. There he was looking fresh and handsome and oh God he smelled nice. She didn't let her eyes linger for long and with a shy "hi" to him, she looked down at Jamie.

"Hey Jimmy Jam. Did you have fun staying with Daddy last night?" she asked and ruffled his head.

"Uh huh," he nodded. "Although Dad could have been a little bit quieter. He was on the phone for hours," he said innocently.

Haley looked up and met Nathan's eyes, which were twinkling as he tried to hold back his laughter. Haley gave him a warning look and taking her cue, he cleared his throat and asked, "so what are your plans for today?"

"Well, I promised to show Connor around Tree Hill this morning." The mere mention of Connor's name made Nathan stiffen with unease, but Haley appeared not to notice. "And actually Jamie and I have been talking."

"About what?" he asked, uncomprehending as he saw a smile passed between his ex-wife and his son.

She took a deep breath before answering. "We thought it would be nice if I bought a place of my own in Tree Hill. Jamie likes it here and we don't want to be coming back home just when somebody's getting married or just to celebrate Christmas."

"You're moving back here?" he asked, unable to believe his ears.

"Yeah, if that's okay with you," she said. It was definitely a difficult decision for her to take, seeming that at times, things were still rocky with Nathan, but Jamie had managed to talk her into it.

He frowned. "Why wouldn't it be okay with me?" In fact he was elated with the idea. That meant that he would be seeing her and Jamie more during off season.

"Well, Jamie is your son and I wouldn't want to make any decisions without consulting you."

"He's your son too Hales," he said softly, and immediately saw the hurt in her eyes, knowing that biologically, it wasn't true. "I think it's a great idea. But what about school?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I'm trying to sort it out with Jamie's school in LA, right Jamie?" She smiled when she saw Jamie nod enthusiastically. "Anyway, we won't be moving back so soon. There's a couple of things that I need to sort out first, like actually finding a house."

"Do you need help with that? I can come with you if you want."

She thought it over and thought that it would be nice if he came along, if only to get a second opinion. "I'd like that," she said, not knowing that his heart leapt with joy. "Anyway, we'd better be going. Connor's already waiting at the Market Street Dock."

The frown immediately returned to his face. The Market Street Dock was their spot. A place where they used to hang out when they were together.

"I'll call you when I've confirmed a viewing this afternoon," she said. "Unless you have other things planned?" she queried.

"No, I'm good with this afternoon," he said a little too quickly. "You guys have fun. I'll see you this afternoon."

Jamie took her hand and followed her to the car, turning back to give a little wave to Nathan. "Bye Daddy!"

"Bye buddy," he said with a smile, already anticipating spending time with Haley this afternoon.

* * *

"So she's moving back here, huh?" Lucas asked, as soon as Nathan had relayed to him the news. Nathan merely nodded. Looking at his brother, he saw that he had a frown on his face.

"What?" he asked. Nathan knew that look only too well. Half brothers they might be, but he prided himself in knowing that he was one of the few people who really knew Lucas Eugene Scott.

Lucas squinted his eyes in the mid day sun. "Nothing man. I just think that you shouldn't read too much into it," he said sincerely. As much as he was elated to find out that his best friend and his nephew were moving back to Tree Hill, he just hoped that it would not result in too much heartache.

"I'm not reading too much into it," Nathan said a little too defensively. "I think it's great that Jamie is closer to home. Even when I'm on the road, I know that he'd been in good hands here."

"Are you sure you're only thinking about Jamie?" Lucas asked with raised eyebrows.

Nathan sighed as they finally reached the Rivercourt. He bounced his basketball as they made their way to the bleachers. "Okay, Haley too. But it's not like I'm gonna see her all the time. My leg's almost healed and I'll be back with the Lakers next season."

"But you still want her back," Lucas said pointedly.

Nathan gave him a sharp look. "Of course I want her back. I want her so much that my heart aches just looking at her."

"Whoa, enough with the mushy stuff. So don't need to know the details," Lucas said as he held his hands up in the air. Seeing that his brother had gone quiet he said, "Look, I know that you're still in love with her but do you really believe in your heart that there's a chance that you guys could get back together. Seriously Nate?"

Nathan looked at his brother straight in the eye and said, "I do."

Lucas knew his brother when he was determined and these were one of those times. And if he knew Nathan well enough, he might just get what he wanted.

* * *

Eventhough the weather was perfect for strolling, there was something odd about walking along the Marketplace Dock with someone other than Nathan. This place held so many memories for them, memories that she knew she could not easily forget. How could she when this was the place where they first had their tutoring lesson. The place where he had kissed her for the very first time.

She allowed a small smile to form on her face as she remembered that day all too clearly.

_Flashback_

_She saw him yawn and stifled a laugh. They had been poring over twenty pages of "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck and she could already sense his restlessness. _

"_Twenty," she said matter-of-factly._

_He looked up and saw her smiling face. He held his breath, afraid that if he let go, she would sense how fast his heart was beating. It kept doing that lately. His heart beating uncontrollably in his chest everytime he saw her face. _

"_What?" he asked._

"_That's how many times you've yawned in the last half an hour," she said and started to close their books. _

"_Wait, what are you doing?" It wasn't like Haley to cut their sessions short. She was a stickler for schedule and they had another fifteen minutes to go._

"_Ending today's session. It's either that or risking you dozing in the middle, which would really piss me off," she said with a straight face._

_He looked at her searchingly, trying to figure out if she was being serious or just pulling his legs. The sound of her bursting out laughing gave him the answer. He smiled in return. _

"_Funny," he said. "Come on. Let's get something to eat. I'm starving," he said._

_She looked at him hesitantly. Tutoring him was one thing, but does grabbing lunch with him constitute a date? For once in her life she wasn't sure of what to do. She had been walking on eggshells these past few days, afraid that Nathan would find out her secret. That she was starting to fall in love with him. She saw that the Nathan Scott that she had come to know was not the same Nathan Scott that everybody knew. He was charming and kind and he was sexy as hell. _

"_Are you coming?" he asked when he saw that she was rooted to the ground._

"_Yeah," she finally said. They strolled along the dock, watching the ripples in the water glitter like diamond. At one point she stopped at the railing and leaned in. This had to be one of her favourite places in Tree Hill. He followed suit and stood next to her but instead of taking in the beauty around them, he took in the calm look on Haley's beautiful face. He could feel their arms touching and felt a sudden shiver running through him. As if on cue, she looked at him and smiled. He didn't know what made him do it, but as he leaned over and kissed her, it felt like the most natural thing in the world._

_The kiss took her by surprise but she didn't push him away. Instead she placed her palm on her face and stroked it as he deepened the kiss. She could feel his tongue at the entrance of her mouth, willing her lips to part, and as soon as she did she heard him moan._

"_God Hales. I've been wanting to do that all week," he said breathlessly. He stroked her face lovingly and gazed into her beautiful brown eyes._

"_So did I," she said shyly and bent her head to capture his lips once again._

_End of flashback_

"You have that look again," a voice said, bringing her back from her reverie. She turned to see Connor looking at her intently.

"What look?" she asked, hoping that her flushed face would not be a give away.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Sometimes you have this faraway look, as if you're thinking of a happy memory."

She turned away, her mind racing to think up an excuse. "Oh, I was just thinking of my househunting escapade this afternoon."

"You're getting a house here?" he asked with interest.

She nodded. "Yeah, I think it's about time Jamie and I move back to Tree Hill. Jamie's almost five and LA is not a good place for a boy to grow up. To be honest, I've just had about enough of the paparazzis too."

He looked at her amusingly. "But you hardly ever get your photos splashed all over the tabloids."

"That's because I try not to live the glamourous lifestyle. I can't imagine it being good for Jamie seeing my face in those trashy magazines, especially knowing that they would do whatever it takes to dig up dirt on you. And Jamie's a smart kid. Hell, sometimes that kid reads better than me," she said with a chuckle.

Connor nodded thoughtfully. "Do you want me to come along for your escapade?" he asked.

She looked surprised at the offer. "Thank you. That's nice of you to offer, but Nathan has already agreed to come with me."

"Nathan? As in Nathan your ex-husband?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that? We try to have a civil relationship eventhough we're no longer together," she said. "Besides, I'm sure he'd like to see the house where his son is gonna live in."

"You're right. I don't mean to poke my nose where it doesn't belong."

She smiled at him. "It's okay. Speaking of poking your nose where it doesn't belong, are you sure you're okay with not spending Christmas with your family?"

"Haley James, are you trying to get rid of me?" he asked as he stood facing her with his arms akimbo.

"I'm not…I'm sorry…" she stammered, thinking that maybe she had overstepped the line.

His sudden laughter made her look at him in puzzlement. "I was just kidding. God you're so gullible," he guffawed.

"And you're an idiot," she said without thinking. A second later, she brought her hand to her mouth and gasped. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have called you an idiot."

He was still chuckling as they continued their walk down the dock. "That's fine. People call me an idiot all the time," he said with a shrug. "And you Haley, are something else."

She tried to decipher his words as they walked companionably. "Come on, we'd better get Jamie before he spends all of the ten bucks I gave him on ice cream," she said as they walked in the direction of the ice cream parlor was Jamie was happily devouring his ice cream. As the time pass by, she couldn't help thinking that as much as she enjoyed talking to Connor, she was looking forward to spending the rest of the day with Nathan.


End file.
